Tag Search Results for "ca"
Since my team the Carolina Hurricanes started floundering and eventually missed the playoffs, I made it a point to help some people out (including myself) and made a spreadsheet of the free agents that should make it a little easier to figure out who exactly is out there to be had.
Over the last couple years I had to hunt down websites that had some of the free agents, ...
The Montreal Canadiens are one of those teams in the league that has a serious image problem. Nobody on there roster sticks out as the leader of the pack. All of their current players are at best mediocore players. Koivu is exponentially overated, Kovalev has lost his scoring touch, and Samsonov...Oh yeah he was a complete flop. This team needs a serious makeover in ev...
Yeah that's right I said it, and let me say it again: Women's hockey is crap. It's the same deal every single damn year, Canada and USA in the finals and Canada wins. What the hell is exciting about that? They always win, there is no fun or suspense embedded in the games. I am Canadian, but I always cheer for the opposing teams because I despise Canada's women's hockey tea...
As much of a disappointing result the end of the Canes season was, I can honestly say I cannot wait to watch the playoffs and not be as emotionally drained as I was last year...I think the entire post season last year took a couple of years off my life!
Now who would a Canes fan pull for in this years post season?
In the East
Sabres - Not a chance....from the pers...
Yes the playoffs are here! And like every other Canadian I am ready for some good ol' time hockey. I've already plastic wrapped the tv to keep it protected from the spit and anything else that might be projected at the tv in anger (note to self...it will not be protected from blunt objects, keep Best Buy flyer close by just in case.) I think there are some very exciting...
So say it with me Wild Fans. Let's Play Hockey!!!!!!
It's the most wonderful time of the year.......(sing it). It even feels like Christmas with snow on the ground. God seems to have extended winter in honor of the Wild's post-season birth.
The playoffs are finally here and the Wild are back! Memories of 4 years ago still dancing in our heads as fans. But, in a ...
Today is the day. Over 1000 days have passed since Vancouver fans have seen their team in playoff hockey! Questions marks are popping up around this team like suspensions in the NFL. No one really knows what to expect but I think I have an idea.
Dallas has the same problem as Vancouver, low scoring, defensive style and great goaltending and a poor playoff record in re...
Canucks start round one on Trevor Linden's birthday. It's a clear day in the city that originated Towel Power, and the skies over the North Shore Mountains are a retina-burning blue. The car flags are starting to bloom, and jersey-wearing fans are popping up like daffodils and tulips.
There's an aura of great hope in town, after last year's dark and horrible failure to ...
zeke10 writes...
How the Canes Will Off Season I: Unrestricted Free Agents
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ray Whitney said in an article in Raleigh's News and Observer Wednesday, "Same as Jimmy (Rutherford), I'd like to get something done and stay here, the sooner the better." That will be the first part of the off-season, resiging those key pieces.
First to sign will be Whitney, the team's leading scorer with 83 points. It is absoluetley neccessary, considering that Rod Brin...
Yeah, I know, not a very original title, but it's the truth. It all begins tonight, the illustrious challenge for hockey's greatest prize. Enough babble. Onto the games tonight.
I'm a fan, yes, duh, of the Canucks, but sports would never be the same if there was not some fantasy or predictive element. Besides cheering for your team, how many times have you said to y...
First of all, I'd like to say hello to everyone reading this, my first blog post of many to come. Thank you for taking the time to read my posts!
My name is Jeff Smith, I am a 21 year old SFU student living in suburban neighbourhood of South Surrey, BC. Like most people around these parts, I have been a Vancouver Canucks fan ever since I can remember. I live and breat...
I'm writing this blog entry on my laptop from the Library at SFU Surrey Campus, having just completed a painfully easy Criminology exam.
I have two tickets to Game 1 of the playoffs tonight, thanks to [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqSMftSKnIg]my entry[/url] in the Ultimate Canucks Search contest. The game is scheduled to start at 7pm, with a tribute to the 82 cup ...
Though I didn't watch the last game of the season against the Avalanche, I noticed that McCarty was in the line-up. Ever since this guy's been injured, most Flames fans have been glad that he's stayed out of the line-up for as long as he has. Perhaps for the regular season, I felt this way as well, but come playoff time, this guy could be the difference maker that no one...
It's been a while since I could sit down and enjoy a nice Canuck playoff game. It's not the same when you're team isn't in the big show. And I'm finding it very difficult to stay focused on my work as I'm anxious to get home to watch the game on the tube.
I suppose I'll watch the Pittsburgh / Ottawa game first. To be honest I'm routing for Crosby. Don't care too much f...
For your reading pleasure:
Western Conference
Detroit over Calgary in 6
Anaheim over Minnesota in 6
Vancouver over Dallas in 5
San Jose over Nashville in 6
Eastern Conference
Buffalo over Islanders in 5 (should go with a sweep...but will throw the Island a bone)
New Jersey over Tampa Bay in 6
Rangers over Atlanta in 5
Ottawa over Pittsburgh in 7
Take t...
Earlier today I was casually reading the lastest edition of the Heralds Hockey section, when I came across something quite intriguing. all The headliner sports writers in the prediction section, including the ones in Calgary picked Detroit in 6 and one lady from Edmonton had them in 7.
To me this is really shocking, im fine with the Flames just sneaking into...
Ok, Devils and Rangers listen up. We, as northern fans, demand nothing less than a swift and orderly removal of the Lightning and Thrashers from the playoffs! Anything less is unacceptable.
Nothing against the fans in Atlanta and TB. I'm sure they are very nice people. It's just that the Cup CAN NOT spend another summer in the South East! It needs to reside in a le...
The Habs finished off the season looking like they need a major overhaul and bringing in some HUGE pieces.
Let's take a step back and look at what we got(these are the positions they can play at):
LW: Higgins, Plekanec, A.Kostitsyn, S.Kostitsyn, Begin
C: Koivu, Higgins, Plekanec, Bonk, Begin, Lapierre, Chipchura, Grabovski,
...
The Habs may have missed the playoffs, but their future is vey bright, and nowhere is this more apparent than between the pipes. If anything, they have too many. Here is a rundown of the goalies they currently have.
[b]Cristobal Huet[/b] - When he is on his game, he can match anyone in the league save for save. From the last half of last year to the first half of thi...
[img:left]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/48/Flames_1980-1995.gif/150px-Flames_1980-1995.gif[/img]It's not every year you get to see a thrilling 1st vs. 8th series in the Western conference. The majority of the time the 1st place teams tends to take it without feeling any affects of displeasure. But last year, the presidents trophy winner (Detroit) was ups...
Considering the circumstances of the earlier-than-hoped-for offseason, it's nice to have some good things to talk about back here in the hockey cave. I'm talking about some of the signings the Hurricanes have made so far, inking some of our recent draft picks to contracts and getting them to Albany as a first step towards building for the future. It's something we tried (a...
Time to add my two cents into the play-off fray. I love the play-offs, and the addition of play-off pools has only heightened my enthusiasm for this time of year. (I have 7 play-off pools)
I've spent the last few days being bombarded by "experts" picking play-off winners and analyzing every facet of every match up. Its a toss up whether a team is better off with all...
It is widely publicized how evenly the Stars and Canucks match up. Excellent defense, not-so-much offense, and top-notch goalies! The series may very well go seven games with multiple overtimes in each. There will be some late nights in Dallas and extremely late nights in Vancouver...at least for us Texans! It is my opinion that in order for the Stars to win this serie...
I woke up this morning the this most amazing feeling. Yeah, I had to work, but that is just daily thing for me now, you know like showering (for some of us). Today is probably the single most intriguing day of hockey and up here in Canada, we get to watch all of it.
Thanks to our passion and love of the game of hockey, TSN and CBC will be showing double-headers. The ac...
Good news for Fighting Sioux Fans: 2/3 of the Fighting Sioux's famous D.O.T. line (Ryan Duncan, T.J. Oshie Jonathon Toews) have said they are coming back for their Junior Years at the University of North Dakota.
Duncan and Taylor Chorney announced in today Grand Forks Herald that they were coming back. [url]http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=34057&se...
With the playoffs underway, I would love to hear some of your guy's predictions.
Here are mine:
[b]Buffalo Sabers vs. New York islanders[/b]
I feel the Islanders will pull it out, mainly because of Dubielewicz, but it's hard to go against the Sabers. Sorry Buffalo fans but I got to go with the Islanders.
New York in 7
[b]New Jersey Devils vs Tampa Bay Lightning...
how can anyone watch a game with that annoying voice of his? It got so bad i had to place my HDTV on Mute because of his voice was so loud. i understand why Vs. ratings are horrible...
C'est platte quand ton équipe préférée est pas dans les séries.
Les canadiens gagneront jamais avec des cons comme Kovalev pis Samsonov dans l'équipe. Samsonov c'est sûr qu'il va partir, mais malheureusement Gainey a pas l'air de vouloir échanger Kovalev cet été, les canadiens ne seront pas tellement améliorés l'an prochain s'il garde Kovalev qui joue une game...
My name is Eric, I am a hockey card collector who started collecting during the 2003-2004 season and have learned a lot since then.
When I started collecting I quickly realized that things had changed from when I last purchased hockey cards as a kid in the early 1980's. So many brands, manufactures, insert sets, subsets, etc. had me confused and overwhelmed.
I gr...
During the intermission between the 3rd and 4th overtimes, the clock struck 3 a.m. on the East Coast, and very promptly VERSUS left its Canucks-Stars coverage and flipped on some infomercial about pilates...... [b]are you kidding me?!??[/b] I know you have to pay the bills, but that is absolutely RIDICULOUS! There should be outrage from the hockey community over this and...
Quarter past midnight local time and I have just woken from a deep state of self introspective reality. As I think to myself do any of these people on the ice have any idea on the certain danger they face. "They are surly going to sink I thought to myself" it's like water "How are they doing it?" "Is it real?"
God this is still ongoing I'd better settle down and get r...
Ok that was sarcasm. Every year, I think I forget just how good playoff hockey is. The playoffs are only one day old, and we've already seen a double OT game, followed up by a Quadruple OT game. (I started writing this blog during the second OT assuming the game would end soon.)
We watched San Jose lose last years leading goal scorer, and then lose a 2 goal lead in the ...
So, just got home from the 4OT thriller at the garage tonight, WHAT A GAME. I mean, they stopped selling beer after the 2nd intermission, so I wound up paying $4 bucks for Sprite, but that's all good. Go Canucks Go... and chants of TTTUUURRCCOOO filled the evening excitement as I basically lost my voice and drank ice cubes for 2 OT's. Skytrain was reasonable on the way ...
tubbytreats writes...
Brent Sopel - Injured picking up cracker from floor?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=270411022
[quote]Vancouver D Brent Sopel didn't play after hurting his back trying to pick up a cracker from the floor Tuesday, coach Alain Vigneault said[/quote]
If this is true, this has to hurt the image of rough-n-tough hockey players around the world... There's gotta be a typo here.
Your thoughts?
[b]How the Mighty Fell (and blocked a shot)[/b]
Last night, and I don't know exactly what time it was because the Canucks/Stars game went 4 overtimes, I saw Markus Naslund go down and block a shot.
I double-checked the number in my head. 19. Yep, that's him. Markus Naslund. The Captain and former runner-up for the Art Ross. Sacrificing his body to keep the, oh maybe 64...
Wish I could have been at the game to cheer the nucks but I live in Calgary and my best option was CBC HD.
The game seemed tilted Dallas' way for most of the game but the Canucks have a way to score away from the flow and if you're not watching you could miss a great goal. This was the case last night. Lots of scoring and the goalies came into the game late.
Luong...
Can you believe how the Canuck/Star game ended? How many games that go into 3+ overtimes end on a nice goal? I mean really.....Hank is not a very likely hero as he barely scores any goals...but a nice looking goal? Same with the Shark victory over the Preds, great goal in overtime....not common but I am glad it happened.
Lets hope day 2 will be as good!
Jany-B was here there and everywhere last night/this morning!
Much like Markus Naslund, it seems that Jan Bulis has decided to take advantage of the clean slate that the playoffs provide. If Bulis and Naslund have huge playoffs and help the Canucks go deep, no one will talk about their underachievement this regular season.
Bulis was one of the Canucks most dangerous ...
What do you do when you've invested 4 hours in a game, its 1:30am and a full workday looms 6 hours away?
There is nothing better than a Stanley Cup playoff game going into multiple overtimes. There is nothing worse than that alarm clock going off anything less than 4 hours after finally falling asleep. Vancouver and Dallas kicked of what I love most about the playoff...
A source I have at the Preds says that Sullivan, who was at the game last night, seemed to not be feeling any ill effects of a lingering back injury. According to my source Sully was jumping around and spent most of the game standing and cheering on his team mates.
While I understand that jumping around cheering is far different from playing NHL level hockey I think the...
Last night at the Canucks-Stars game, I saw something that likely didn't show up on the TV coverage or in any post-game media write ups.
Late in the game (3rd or 4th OT): The players were all obviously exhausted and both teams were feeling the pressure. Willie Mitchell was clearing the front of the net on a Dallas rush. He gave Niklas Hagman a push off to the side of...
Just something short, since i'm in the lab right now supposedly doing homework/research, but playoff hockey makes me much too excited to think about things like that right now.
First off - Markus Naslund played his best game of the season so far. No question. I hope he can keep this up.
Kevin Bieksa - 54+ minutes and 4 penalties. This guy is amazing. I expect a Norri...
Lanny's Moustache writes...
Not Hockey related, but something I thought I should share.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]Sunday Telegraph Article From today's UK wires: Salute to a brave and modest nation - Kevin Myers, The Sunday Telegraph LONDON - [/b]
Until the deaths of Canadian soldiers killed in Afghanistan , probably almost no one outside their home country had been aware that Canadian troops are deployed in the region. And as always, Canada will bury its dead, just as the rest ...
Mick Mcgeough (sp?) is reffing tonight. Any Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton fans will know this guy all too well. I'm interested to know what you Flame fans think of him being given game 1 in a series that is so close it could be decided by refs calling bad penalties?
The fallout of last nights marathon is starting to be felt throughout the city. Yes, the Canucks finally ended the game in the fourth period of overtime and I am sure that everyone has a story about how they stayed awake for the entire thing or they couldn't handle it and went to bed, but how much did the game cost the Canucks.
Behind all the rumors that the Stars were...
10. Don Whittman and his terrible commentary. Bring back Cuthbert, for the love of all that is hockey.
9. The Flames didn't even look like they were that concerned they were being manhandled.
8. As per above, someone did mention to the Flames that they playoffs have started, right?
7. Too many penalties. Way too many. So undisciplined.
6. Simply speaking, th...
As expected, game 1 was another 1-goal game...only this time, quite amazingly, there were nine total goals! I was preparing to get some snacks ready for the 5th overtime when Vancouver finally ended it. The longest playoff game in Canucks history, the second longest playoff game in Stars history, and the sixth longest playoff game in NHL history had finally come to an en...
It's Thursday night and the East Coast games are done. Everyone in New York State, where all four teams are miraculously in the playoffs, are done. Tonight, everyone except the Isles won. Hold on. I just included the Devils as a team from New York. Does this count? I say yes. I lived in New York in the mid-90's and was a Devil's fan. There were people like me. Sure, the ar...
Well, we saw those dreaded lames. the F-ing lames at that.
They played the game like it was a recreation league game and they just couldnt wait to go out and grab a beer after. The Flames now really have something to prove sunday as they put forth the worst effort by a team so far this season. I dont think ive ever turned a playoff game off within the first five minutes....
Well, the playoffs are still young, but there are still some interesting storylines that have started to develop.
[b]Senators and Penguins game 1:[/b]
This was not the game that anybody expected. Many people thought that the Sens would take this one, but not in the way that they did. The thrashing that was handed out on Wednesday should not be any indication of how...
Coming off an outstanding performance Pavel Datsyuk had a goal and added an assist as the Wings doused the Flames 4 - 1. People in the media have really written Datsyuk off, but he is out to prove these naysayers wrong. Some belived that Ken Holland made a huge mistake signing the playoff underachiever to a multi-year multi-million dollar deal. However, the game tonight sh...
[b]Canucks vs. Dallas -- [/b]I was there in Game 1. Dallas pressed hard, Luongo saved the day, but the Canucks did take some bad penalties and looked out of sorts at times. Game 1 jitters? Considering we've played 2 games already now, no more jitters left. The latter OT periods definitely favoured the Canucks. I don't think Dallas can play any better. The Canucks sur...
nickgregory writes...
The Playoffs continued (does CGY know they started?)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
God I love playoff hockey. Right before the playoffs started, my wife gave birth to our first child, a baby daughter named Abby (actually went into labor at the Canes vs. Caps game…I am guessing Abby was a bit annoyed at Johnny Grahame for letting in 3 goals on 6 shots, and wanted to give him a piece of her mind)…well, those that have kids know that the sleep is spora...
Well it would seem like game 3 anyway. In game 1 they played almost a full 7 period game, and now they're heading into only game 2. This will be an exciting game to watch and you can bet your bottom dollar that it is very likely we'll be seeing yet another overtime. The Canucks lead the series 1-0 thanks to the game winning goal scored by Henrik Sedin in 4th overtime.
I...
Game one against the Stars was an epic battle, and like all epic battles won or lost, there was a cost. With Brent Sopel already out with a non-hockey related back injury, Matt Cooke went down with a groin problem and is day-to-day. Alex Burrows very obviously got his "bell rung", wobbling to his feet and attempted to pick up his stick like a Chinatown tourist trying to pi...
Canucks Recall Nathan Smith & Jannik Hansen
[url]http://www.moosehockey.com/news/press_releases2.php?press_id=1135[/url]
Nathan Smith was up here a month or so ago in a game vs. Minny. 8-9minutes of play. What's the impact going to be? Dudes on the radio are right about them being more energetic. I would look for them to help the Canucks catch their second win...
What a battle on Wednesday. That one will go down in history as one to remember. It may have put us back on course. There were periods down the stretch of the regular season that the Canucks started getting lazy. This last game was a great start.
Can we now, after losing potentially three players, keep the battle going and build on the successes of game #1? I certainly...
San Jose vs. Nashville - Game 2 - 1-0 San Jose
-I say this game gets very physical as response to the Cheechoo injury. High scoring game with Nashville getting the late lead. 5-4 Nashville
(Thorton, Pavelski, Carle, Guerin)- For San Jose
(Erat, Forsbergh, Zidlicky, Radulov, Dumont with the winner)- For Nashville
Dallas vs. Vancouver - Game 2 - 1-0 Vancouver
-No ...
Why does Comcast keep replacing NHL HD Hockey with repeat PGA golf.
This is an outrage?
Ok, it has long been known in these here parts that in Canuck colours (whichever those colours may be) that wearing the number 17 comes at a price. I know, I know, the number on a players back has no reflection of his statics or play on the ice, but come on. Number 17 for Vancouver has brought on nothing but bad luck for whom ever may choose to wear it. The only exception ...
On Thursday, I took a glance at the list of possible free agent centers who could don the Orange and Black for the '07-'08 season. Here's a look at the defensemen (the Flyers other main need):
[b]Kimmo Timonen [/b](Nashville Predators) - The first thing that jumped out at me when researching Kimmo was his age - 32. Are the Flyers willing to give a four or five-year de...
(I hate to start the blog with this but c'mon...this is freaking hilarious...Turco was named the #3 star in the building and Henrik #2...LOL!!! What a joke!)
Marty Turco had 35 saves to preserve his 1st career playoff shutout, and the Dallas Stars played a full 60 minutes to win game two, 2-0, and steal the home ice advantage! The series shifts to Dallas for game 3, e...
Philadelphia Flyers are my team. They have been my team my entire life and will continue to be the team I love with the most passion.
Any sports days at work where they allow you to wear sports apparel I come in sporting something Flyers. Even this year which was such a long year for Flyers fans I proudly wore my orange and black.
I do have other teams I love as I...
DarkHockeyArmy writes...
Stars Dominating Series, Get A Split To Show For It
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
While it didn't take over 6 hours to find a victor on Friday night, the game was much the same as the 7 period marathon witnessed on Wednesday- a Stars team out-skating, out-muscling, and out-playing the Canucks. Only this time, Loungo and some freak bounces weren't there to save Vancouver. Loungo still made some excellent saves. He just made 2 less than his team ...
The National Hockey League, in conjuction with CBC television would like to remind the Vancouver Canucks that Game 2 will begin at approximately 6:00pm local time.
To be honest with you, I don't think that the Canucks got this memo. 24 seconds into the first period of play the Canucks left Jeff Halpern alone beside the net and he did what every professional hockey pl...
Mike Fisher writes...
A little introduction and why the Canucks lost last night.
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
OK, this is my lame attempt to write a Hockey Blog.
Keep in mind when you read it, that I am relatively poor and therefore I don't have cable. Because of this, I don't see a lot of games. My 'radio' is a little clock radio that changes reception drastically based on where I am in the room. All that white noise will definitely wake you up in the morning, but it doesn't g...
When I finally became a Hurricanes fan about 6 years ago, I never would have thought that this team would be where it is today. I never would have thought that they would become part of the community. I never would have thought that hockey would even become a sport played by the locals at any level. And I certainly never would have thought that they would ever win a Stan...
SteveBonus writes...
The Habs and the Hab-Nots: 2006-2007 Year in Review
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Another year has come to an end for the Montreal Canadiens, and dissapointingly the team was unable to make a second straight playoff appearance. Prior to Christmas, the Habs were on fire and had a shot at catching the dominant Buffalo Sabres atop the Northeast Division standings. But, with the team being hammered by the flu bug in late December, followed by a monstrous tw...
I guess we're supposed to feel bad for Mike Ribeiro.
After all, according to him in a piece featured in the Montreal Gazette earlier this year, he "was treated unfairly in Montreal." Not only that, he feels that there must have been some sort of conspiracy afoot in the off-season when he was traded to the Dallas Stars as "[the Canadiens] just wanted to get rid of me, a...
Why is it that everyone is underestimating the Canucks. All the media people keep on saying that the Dallas Stars have outworked the Canucks and have deserved to win both games well if they had they would have beta Roberto Loungo but they did not. Why is it that the media people say Lopungo is the only reason vancouver is in it. I mean is a goalie not part of the team. Als...
As the Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Ottawa Senators game nears the end of the first period I still haven't hardly noticed Malkin on the ice. As I think about it, the only real thing I remember him doing in the whole series was getting knocked onto his backside during the his first shift of game 1 and the Senators promptly scoring a goal. I know he was credited with an assist on...
Reading the headlines of the local papers here in Vancouver would lead you to believe that the Canucks are on the verge of being eliminated from this years Stanley Cup race. To that I would have to say that I totally agree.
Despite being tied at a game a piece, the Canucks have not played well in the first two games of this series. There were moments in game one that...
That's right... Lidstrom sucks defensively! If anyone else is currently watching the Flames-Wings game, you just saw Primeau skate around Lidstrom with ease to set up a highlight reel play, only to be stoned by Hasek...
Now we all know that Lidstrom is one of, if not the best defenceman in the league, but the point of this is to point out that every defenceman ends up o...
Here's another blog about the Canucks and their dwindling chances to get past the Stars.
I am an optimist and I feel there have been some good things that came from the last couple of games. I watched both games and for the most part haven't written the Canucks off. I like our offense in game 1 and felt our defense and goaltending came around near the end. As much as I...
The heart of this city, the passionate Flames fan, is breaking right now. You can feel the rupture resonating down the red mile, through every basement and every bar, and you can see it in every face.
Kipper is playing beyond human, as we're so accustomed to... yet it is not enough. The forwards are not creating chances, are not forechecking hard, and look as though t...
The Dallas Stars really took the game to the Canucks in the first two periods, and just as the Canucks started to come on the Dallas Stars were able to net a power play goal late in the second period.
As I sat here during the second intermission I wondered to myself, can we do it? The Canucks were outplayed in the first and just as they started to come on in the seco...
The premise that I've been hoping for and building on thus far in the Canucks/Stars series is that the Canucks should have another level to play. That came through yesterday in the 3rd and OT period as the Canucks dominated the puck and offensive chances. Shots were 18 vs. 9 in those periods combined.
The Dallas Stars are just the Dallas Stars. You know what to expec...
Yes yes, another cliche term about how we have swedish players on our team. And yet, you may be confused. No swedes scored yesterday night, you might say! That's irrelevant. The line of Naslund, Sedin, and Sedin is unbelieveable. They're making Sydor and Zubov look like children. This isn't to say i'm particularly proud of the Canucks effort last night. As the playoffs con...
When will the Stars learn to push back in this series? As soon as there is any momentum change against them, Canucks score a goal. When you dominate 50 minutes of a 60 minute game, show enough heart to not lose it in 10 minutes.
Turco should be blame-free so far for this series. He has done his part to win it. He stole the end of game 2, and was well on his way to d...
Gary,
I would like to extend this open letter as fair warning for what may happen should you allow the Dallas Stars to continue to run our goaltender. Without going into extensive detail, I would like to bring your attention to such incidents as the Todd Bertuzzi hit on Steve Moore.
I understand your position on the instigator rule, but I would also like to point ...
My sources are telling me that early indications point to Sutter firing Playfair.
Details to come.
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...
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[b]The most impressive Sidney Crosby rookie card to date is limited to 99 copies is autographed, contains a piece of patch memorabilia embedded into the card, and recently sold on eBay for just over $15K.[/b]
I recently read a news report on the Beckett web site titled, “Crosby Cup RC Snapped Up At $10K” then on April 16, 2007 I researched the card on eBay and w...
I don't think Red Wings fans could have hoped for a better way to start this series. They have dominated the entire 120 mins of this series so far. They have been the more skilled, but maybe more importantly, the more PHYSICAL team. They are initiating the hits, taking it to the Flames, and making a statement that this years Red Wings team is a PHYSICAL hockey team. Th...
So by this point I think it's safe to say it would be 2-1 for one team rather than 3-0. But why is it that score? Games 1 and 3 were as close as they get and game 2 was all about the Stars. The Canucks won game 3 because of 2 defensive breakdowns not because of anything they really did. On the first goal Turco was telling his d-man to reverse the puck behind the net a...
It is unknown if Burtuzzi will play in tonight's game...but if he does who sits. It would be hard to sit Filipula, who would have been the obvious choice had this been Game 1. But Fillipula had scored 2 goals and his line had played extremely well with Franzen and Hudler attacking and crashing the net. Hudler is another option, but he is playing on both that line and h...
mojoworld writes...
Where are we at? + some good playoff lines (unders!) tonight
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Van-Dal: 2-1 Van leads. Good under bet opportunities here for handicappers after game 1. Still say Vancouver will just get it done and win out from here.
Ana-Min: 3-0 Ducks. Wow, really didn't see this coming and I'm not sure why I don't respect the Ducks team play more. In any case, now it's just a matter of if the Wild can make themselves look respectable. Off-season,...
Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, and Martin St. Louis. The Tampa Bay Lightning's Big 3.
Before the series with New Jersey, one of the best defensive teams in hockey, the story regarding the Lightning was "What's Tampa Bay going to do when New Jersey shuts down their main line - where will the scoring come from?".
Funny thing happend on the way to answering that que...
There isn't much you can say after winning your first playoff game at home in 10 years by a score of 7-0. The denizens of MSG came ready to cheer on their blueshirts, it does help coming in up 2-0 in the series vs. 0-2 without Jagr like last year, and they weren't dissappointed.
32 seconds into the game Nylander scores his first of 3 on the night and the party was just ...
Keys to Game 3:
Forecheck.
Play physical.
First to loose pucks.
Win the battles.
Discipline.
Composure.
Period 1:
There's the effort. That's how we really play. Had a few solid chances. Unlucky to not put any in. Iggy looks better. Conny is flying. Kipper looks solid again. Even Stuart is impressing. Warrener is a machine. 4minute penalty killed with ...
During last summers long off-season the Vancouver Canucks GM Dave Nonis made two signing that may fans have questioned. The first was the signing of defenseman Willie Mitchell to a 4 yr./$3.5 million deal and the second was Trevor Linden to a 1 yr./$600,000 deal. Fans and media alike have questioned these moves all season long and in some instances the critics have made so...
briere2112 writes...
Sens, Rangers, and Canucks get 3rd win in series...
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Ottawa, NYR, and Vancouver now lead their series 3-1, 3-0, and 3-1, respectively.
The Rangers are annihilating the Thrashers. 7-0. Well, you can tell this is the first time the Thrashers have been to the playoffs, but I guess I was expecting more from Hossa.
Ottawa and Vancouver have played well and should win their series as well. The Penguins have played well ...
Dude, we're going to the Cup finals man... Nazzy wants it bad and he's showing he can/will do it. I know that one Dallas goal may have been a result of him not getting a strong hold of the puck and whipping it out of the zone, but this is an entirely different Naslund, wow, I'm so impressed.
I hope the Wild claw their way back into the series, can't make the Ducks look...
The passion. The toughness. The win.
This was Flames hockey. This was the grit we saw in '04. This is what we expected.
We were forechecking. We were winning the battles. We were making short passes and skating. We can beat the Wings. 1 down, 3 to go.
Yitzhak writes...
The First Official Washington Capitals Blog on this Site
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Since this site is woefully prejudiced against us Capitals fans, I felt it was time to step up to the plate and fulfill the glaring need for a Capitals Blog. Granted there are only about four Capitals fans on this whole site, but that is really besides the point.
As anyone remotely familiar with the NHL knows, the Capitals were atrocious down the stretch, and in some w...
Vancouver edged another victory away from Dallas. The series is extremely close and yet on paper now it seems different. What is it that's putting the Nucks in the win column? The obvious answer is Luongo. Turco has been good too don't get me wrong. This series has been all about the goaltending and Luongo has been outshining Turco. Could the Canucks be playing this well w...
Tonight Game 4 of the Flames-Red Wings series goes at 7:30MST (9:30EST for the majority of readers on here) and to say something that is obvious - Calgary needs the win. Not only do the need the win, they need to get it in convincing fashion.
Sure they beat the Red Wings 3-2 on Tuesday night but many of the glaring errors the Flames made in Games 1 & 2 are still around...
It was the night of nights. Everyone in town knew that we had to play better, regardless of our victory on Tuesday. The swing game was live or die. No way we could crawl out of a hole going back to the Joe. It was tonight or bust.
We've played consecutively better every game, and believe it or not, I think we still need to get better. Kipper is inhuman. I think he...
For those of us STARS faithful that fill the American Airlines Center each home game, that movie clip is engrained in our minds! Numerous times this year, Dallas has been behind the 8-ball...and numerous times this year, they have answered the call. Tonight was no different...Marty Turco was absolutely brilliant, and they found a way to finally solve Luongo. Now, there ...
I am not going to apology for splitting hairs over the use of Nation when describing the fans of certain NHL teams or the co-opting of the term for profit. No, I won’t because I’m Canadian and we’ve been splitting nations and attempting to sew them back together, and to the larger fabric, since our inception.
For those of you reading this in Canada I realize inv...
Over the course of the past several days, I have heard several comment made on the radio and in general conversation that the Canucks got the lucky bounce, or the Stars got the lucky bounce etc. I myself have made the mistake, surely the Stars got a lucky bounce in Game 5 when the puck slid eerily close the their gapping net while Turco was on the bench and the Canucks had...
This is the song that never ends.
It goes on and on my friends.
Someone started singing it not knowing what it was,
and they'll continue singing it forever just because,
This song can best describe the Canucks Dallas series. Just when you think you have got a hold of what is happening then suddenly something else happends and suddenly something else pops out and i...
[i]O Calgary Flames who skate in the Dome,
Hallowed be the ice upon which you play.
Your power rankings will climb
As your points do over time, at Sportsnet as well on TSN.
Give us this day our special teams skill.
And forgive us our tresspasses as we check those who try to do us ill.
Lead us not to the penalty box and deliver us from unreviewed goals,
For thine are...
All I have to say is that with the Stars extending the series to game 6, I sure hope that we do not have a 2003 situation on our hands. You see the Vancouver Canucks of 2002-2003 were probably the best tanlented team that has ever been put together in this city, at least for the regular season.
The west coast express was in full swing Todd Bertuzzi had 94 points, Marku...
And we should give thanks for that. The Flames came out today and played a SOLID first period. If we had played that way the whole game, we would have won. However, we stopped skating after the first period. Not only that, we kept giving the puck away, both in our own zone and at the offesive blueline. How can you expect to win when you do that? How can you even expec...
The Dallas STARS played their best post-season game in several years, beating Vancouver 2-0, and forcing game 7 Monday night! From a fan's point-of-view, it was the most awesome game I have been to in quite some time. The capacity crowd was rowdy the entire night, and the team played like a contender. Marty Turco finished with 21 saves for his second shutout in a row, a...
nephew23 writes...
"It was something I'd do in the regular season – any time."
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
That quote comes from another obvious thug, Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows. It was his response to the fierce slash he made on the back of Dallas Stars forward Brendan Morrow's knee, in the final minutes of game 6. The slash caused a twinge in a nerve and caused Morrow to limp off the ice and miss the rest of the game. I'm just curious why Burrows would be so op...
seriously, people need to take a very,very deep breath about the McLennan slash. come on, real hockey fans will tell this used to happen all the time. I remember Ron Hextall jabbing the forward infront for position to see where the puck. Hextall did slash players and faced the consequences. He would a) face the player (thats call players policing themselves or b) get a fin...
And with that, the Detroit Red Wings have eliminated the Calgary Flames from contention.
As much as I was pulling for the Flames, the Wings deserved to win this series. Kiprusoff was the only guy on Calgary's roster who was showing up to play every game.
A major surprise was the play of Johan Franzen in this series. I barely knew who he was prior to this series, and...
Hey, I'm a Flames fan (you may have already guessed that tho).
I'm a fan of the team that has been lambasted and generally scourged by almost every media outlet for the past 24hrs and frankly I'm tired of it.
Perhaps this is the part where you gasp in surprise that I could even think to disagree that they deserved all this heaping on being done by the media but you k...
The Wings win in 6 games.
Before everyone gets on my case about this blog, remember one thing - I'm a fan and I'm going to tell it how I saw it. You may disagree but this is what I saw. The reasons we lost this series:
1. Detroit was the better team. Forechecking, passing, defensive play - they played all 6 games the same and lost 2 by one goal which were winnable...
Who would have thought the series would have evolved the way it has over the last week or so. We now are back where we started. The only advantage is now to the Canucks who are at home. You could argue that Dallas has the momentum and so they have the advantage. The Canucks' inability to score on Turco has also tipped the scale towards Dallas. Dallas has been playing with ...
Desire. Heart. Determination. Focus. It all comes down to one game, erase everything that has happened between April 11 and April 22. All that matters is tonight. How bad do you want it? Let your actions speak.
Game 7 has to be the most stressful game to watch, but not only watching the game is stressful, actually the entire day is stressful. So stressful for fans that...
It has been said thousands of times...there is nothing like a game 7...win and advance, lose and go home! The Dallas Stars are one win away from pulling off the near impossible. They have finally won in overtime...they have finally won at home...and they have finally figured out how to solve Roberto Luongo. Though Marty Turco has the edge in stats, including THREE shuto...
I thought game 7's in the stanley cup playoffs were decided by the players? that third period was an embrassment to nhl. call after call was hooking or holding.
my god, even the Dave Strader was confused if There was a pentaly when Turco was pulled at the end of the game
BTW, Trevor Linden did a nice job on the hook(which was a pentaly) before scoring the game winni...
Where are you now buddy? It's a good thing that it's nice and sunny down there in Dallas so your boy's can go golfing. LMAO!
What are your thoughts on this matchup? My recollection of the season series was that Vancity lost 3 and won 1. The one we won we played Sabourin. So maybe we should rest Luongo for the next round seeing Sabourin had the better record?? No way! I don't know why we won that one game, my guess is that it was during their injury problems. Pronger and S. Niedermayer both were ...
Again for your reading pleasure....
Sabres over the Rangers in 6
Senators over Devils in 6
Sharks over Red Wings in 5
Canucks over Ducks in 6...maybe a homer pick but you have to follow the heart at times.
Rangers will surprise some as they are much better than advertised. Sens will do great as they are crazy hungry for the first time ever. Sharks are a damn f...
Last night, went heavy on the 4.5u and well, the Canucks won and scored TWO frigg'n empty netters in the final minute and down went my money in the drain. That's ok, because I hit a nice $20 five game parlay (won $400) thanks to a few nice free throw's by Yao Ming to clinch the over. (1xNBA + 4xMLBs).
Looking at Conference Semi-finals now and the match-ups. My initial b...
Game 7 in any professional sport is a true testimate to all players skill but more so it is an extreme test of all players determination and their willingness to compete. On Saturday evening, after losing game 6 and after being held off the scoreboard for the third time in the series, the Canucks coach Alain Vigneault called out his players. Namely, he called out the 'play...
nephew23 writes...
I Couldn't Agree More...But I'm So Happy A Canadian Said It!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Did I say happy?...I meant ecstatic, elated, over-joyed! I really hate to make excuses, or have to include the officiating in any writing...so thank-you so much, Mr. Gallagher, for your article...it is 100%, spot on! In fact, I used the phrase "phantom call" seconds after the penalty, as well as in a comment to my new best friend's blog ([i]What a friggin joke[/i]--Flyer...
I delayed posting a blog after our overtime defeat because it would be ridden with grief and emotional outbursts. Tears are not rare when it comes to me and my beloved Flames. Needless to say I am struggling to find my way again, as I commit so much to the team and their journey.
However, this blog is for looking forward. I would love to be in Sutter's position right...
[b]Western Conference
#2 Anaheim vs #3 Vancouver[/b]
[b]Why Vancouver will win:[/b] Roberto Luongo is a candidate for the Hart Trophy, and he was arguably stronger yet in the first round against Dallas. There may be no tougher goalie to face in a best-of-seven series right now. Vancouver’s defense seems to know exactly when to pinch and when to retreat, and they re...
Due to your constant comment about our defence killing us, I thought I would actually have a look at some stats to see if the is validity to your tirades about our blueliners:
Vancouver
Name Pts. TOI +/- Pims
Bieksa 0 24 -1 16
Krajeck 0 15 -1 6
Mitchell 1 ...
[img]http://i18.tinypic.com/2d0j5l3.gif[/img]
This is my new signature on Canucks.com. I thought some of you folks might get a kick out of it.
Enough of the busy banter and wasted efforts on the Stars fan. The question of Monday nights game was, who will advance? The answer? Trevor Linden and Roberto Luongo answered it for everyone. Of course it was the Vancouver Canucks that were going to come through for their fans. Now, bring on the Ducks.
No one in Vancouver is going to openly admit that the Canucks are t...
As mentioned previously I hate making predictions, especially when it comes to the hometown Canucks. To begin I will review my first round selections:
My predictions:
Red Wings in 7
Ducks in 6
Stars or Canucks in 6
Predators in 6
Sabres in 4
Devils in 6
Penguins in 6
Rangers in 5
Reality:
Red Wings in 6
Ducks in 5
Canucks in 7
Sharks in 5
Sabres...
Point shots and rebounds. Those are the kinds of goals we need to start with. Then once they chase after our shooters more, the space will open up for the pass pass play and the slap pass goals we're for whatever reason looking at now.
Henrik passed up an open net to shoot at in favour of passing the puck to his brother who was being checked so obviously. Sedins need...
Luongo07 writes...
I won't run and hide when my team loses, it's all good
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I will not beg for time to pout...
Tonight, after one days rest the Vancouver Canucks stepped on to the ice to face the dreaded Anahiem Ducks. Early on it looked like the Canucks had an early jump, Markus Naslund had a glorious opportunity, then Trevor Linden had a chance, and then Jeff Cowan scored the games first goal, but that was it for the visitors.
The Ducks sh...
This season has seen nearly every team develop their unsung hero(es). It's time again to evaluate who means the most to their team. I've always felt that the Hart should encompass the regular season AND the playoffs, but the Conn Smythe isn't disappearing anytime soon. So, let's look at the candidates:
[b]1. Roberto Luongo, G, Vancouver[/b]
It's a safe bet to say that ...
This season has seen nearly every team develop their unsung hero(es). It's time again to evaluate who means the most to their team. I've always felt that the Hart should encompass the regular season AND the playoffs, but the Conn Smythe isn't disappearing anytime soon. So, let's look at the candidates:
[b]1. Roberto Luongo, G, Vancouver[/b]
It's a safe bet to say that ...
Yes, Caps fans, change is the offseason's buzzword. As the Caps' season was thankfully on its way to being put to rest, the slogan 'Change is Coming' was (for good reason) broadcasted for any fans still paying attention.
So, what changes can Caps fans expect?
[u][url=http://www.washingtoncaps.com/news/news.asp?story_id=4783]New uniforms[/url]:[/u]
The Caps will unve...
If you read all the bashing that the Canucks have recieved over the past few days it is possible. Yes, the Canucks have not looked very good in the playoffs but they still managed to defeat an impressive Dallas Stars team and last night's series opener against the Ducks was not their worst effort of the post-season. Enough has been made about the loss of two of their top f...
[img:right]http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/4431/danysabourinzo8.jpg[/img]Canucks backup goaltender Dany Sabourin replaced Roberto Luongo with with 10:55 remaining, has he gotten his name on the Stanley Cup (if the Canucks win)?
I haven't been able to locate the official excerpt explaining what a goaltender must do in order to get his name on the Stanley Cup, but my u...
> 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...
No, I'm not jumping off the bandwagon. But I've decided to take a look at the Canucks' free agents on July 1st.
[b]Jan Bulis (III)[/b] - This guy was really unhappy with his playing time and lack of power-play time sometime in January and didn't seem like he would return to the team next year. But after a chat with Dave Nonis and getting his position in the club clarifi...
I mean really. I wonder if there is still doubt in the minds of the Vancouver-ites who so quickly jumped off the Stanley Cup bandwagon after Game 1. In sickness or in health. Imagine our PP once we have KB and SS back. I mean really. Seriously.
While the Canucks were not perfect, the longer the game lasted, the more tired the youngsters on the Duck line 2 (pending ...
An article from the Vancouver Sun this morning maybe of interest to some....
[quote]Secret tabled at Turco dinner
Greg Douglas, Vancouver Sun
Published: Saturday, April 28, 2007
SCENE & HEARD: It will be awhile before Dallas Stars goaltender Marty Turco has dinner again at Umberto Menghi's signature eatery, Il Giardino on Hornby Street. Not that Turco has anything ag...
Despite the media and all the nay sayers Vancouver pulled even with the Ducks and made the series look a lot more even than what it appeared after game 1.
Game 1 was tough to watch. My first thoughts were "These aren't the Canucks!". Somebody dressed the LA Kings instead. I'm glad they got that all straightened up. And now having the series return to Vancouver to win t...
I know I said I was not going talk about the officiating any longer, BUT...my dearest friend and fellow North American, Luongo07, continues to call me out and accuse me of not researching. (well, at least most of that last sentence is true!) So, as I set out to get the full scoop on the officiating in the Stars/Canucks series, I realized it was a much bigger issue than j...
[img:right]http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/9482/mitchell80ae871bt9.png[/img]The injuries on the blueline continue to mount.
Defencemen Willie Mitchell and Rory Fitzpatrick did not skate on Saturday. Mitchell is expected to play Game 3, but Fitzpatrick is questionable with the flu.
In case Fitzpatrick can't go, the Canucks have recalled veteran defenceman Yannick T...
As has been the case since January, the Canucks All-Star goaltender rebounded from a poor performance in game one with an outstanding 43 save performance in game two. The Canucks have evened the Western Conference at one game a piece as the series head to a wild GM Place this afternoon for game three.
This has been a consistent trend of Roberto since the team began it's...
As has been the case since January, the Canucks All-Star goaltender rebounded from a poor performance in game one with an outstanding 43 save performance in game two. The Canucks have evened the Western Conference at one game a piece as the series head to a wild GM Place this afternoon for game three.
This has been a consistent trend of Roberto since the team began it's...
As has been the case since January, the Canucks All-Star goaltender rebounded from a poor performance in game one with an outstanding 43 save performance in game two. The Canucks have evened the Western Conference at one game a piece as the series head to a wild GM Place this afternoon for game three.
This has been a consistent trend of Roberto since the team began it's...
As has been the case since January, the Canucks All-Star goaltender rebounded from a poor performance in game one with an outstanding 43 save performance in game two. The Canucks have evened the Western Conference at one game a piece as the series head to a wild GM Place this afternoon for game three.
This has been a consistent trend of Roberto since the team began it's...
As has been the case since January, the Canucks All-Star goaltender rebounded from a poor performance in game one with an outstanding 43 save performance in game two. The Canucks have evened the Western Conference at one game a piece as the series head to a wild GM Place this afternoon for game three.
This has been a consistent trend of Roberto since the team began it's...
The Ducks and Canucks just finished game 3 of their Western Conference Semi-Final and while some may question some of the calls during the game a further look shows you that clearly the referee's made the correct calls. Yes, the Ducks were called for 6 mins in penalties more, there were several justifiable calls made in the game.
In fact, being a Canuck fan I would que...
nickgregory writes...
The life of a new father, and random hockey thoughts....
Posted Monday | Comments 0
No matter what anyone tells you, you can never fully be prepared for taking care of an infant. My daughter is now 5 ½ weeks old, and as a result, I am sleep deprived, nerves are ragged and I feel like I could snap at any moment, but the good news is I am watching a ton of hockey (while flipping between the damn Yankees proving that they should have bought some pitching i...
Syntax writes...
Naslund leading the team in goal scoring; Injury updates
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://www.click2host.us/006/markus_naslund547346.jpg[/img]Canucks captain Markus Naslund's now leads the team goal scoring with three goals after scoring last night! Thanks to his power play goal at 19:12 of the first period on Sunday, he now has an astonishing 3 goals!
Injuries and more injuries. Taylor Pyatt, Jan Bulis, and Jeff Cowan all missed practice o...
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[b]The largest, best, and longest running hockey card and memorabilia expo takes place this weekend, May 4 to 6 2007, at the Toronto International Centre. The 32nd Toronto Sport Card and Memorabilia Expo will deliver over 900 tables of rare cards and nonsport items from the world of hockey and other sports.[/b]
The show boasts a heavy line up of autograph guests like...
Sunday afternoon the Canucks lost yet another home ice playoff game, dropping their record to a terrible 3 - 9 in their last 12 playoff games at GM Place., dating back to the 2003 Western Conference Semi-Final versus Minnesota. I think not. You would think that with the noise levels that are reached, the passion that is shown by the fans that the Canucks record at home wou...
Well as most Canadians may know. Especially those who follow hockey religiously.
The Politicians have way-ed into Team Canada Hockey Decisions.
Shane Doan has unproven allegations against him that in 2005 he uttered a racial slur
"F******g Frenchman did a good job" in reference to the all French Officiating staff who were working that night.
Now this is one person...
First of all, I'd like to thank the Vancouver Canucks for lending their tv announcers to CBC Sports for game 4! What an incredible gesture towards the people of Canada, and specifically Canucks' fans! I'm so thankful American fans, specifically Ducks fans, got to hear those announcers cheer for their team the entire game...and overtime hasn't even begun yet! I cannot wa...
Talk about bad calls, when it is assumed Thomas Vanek snuck one around Rick DiPietro it was called a goal, although the video was inconclusive.
Sabres fans: WELCOME TO PLAYING THE RANGERS!
The Sabres are apparently more important than the Isles, and the Rangers are more improtant than the Sabres.
The goal that Briere scored, or "was inconclusive" looked pretty da...
I am getting absolutely disgusted with what's being thrown around our Federal Government these days. Taxes, defence and other important issues are taking a backseat because - get this - Shane Doan is the captain of Team Canada. Can I please call for a by-election of any idiot who thinks this is an issue for our government to discuss?
Hockey Canada is going to address Pa...
So we'll call it over, Was it worth the ride? Damn rights.
Lets flash back a moment to the begining of training camp. The Vancouver Canucks assembled in Vernon, British Columbia with a new look. Alain Vigneault is coach, Roberto Luongo is in goal and most undoubtably Todd Bertuzzi is not in the line-up. There a several scribes across the continent saying that the Canuc...
The Vancouver Canucks season came to a close in dramatic fashion. Amist all the question marks at the begining of the season the Canucks made a rather impressive season out of nothing. Roberto Luongo proved that he could not only carry a team into the post-season but he also proved that he could give his team a chance. Alain Vigneault proved that he could make a bunch of '...
Calm down Ducks fans...I didn’t get confused and not give Scott the credit for his game winning goal. I gave credit to Rob because it was his huge hit on Jannik Hansen that not only turned over the puck but caused Luongo to lose his focus for a brief moment...that’s all it took. Ducks win and advance to the WCF.
"My brother got a big hit on their guy and the puck s...
A few thoughts before I move on to bigger and better issues! And yes, I fully expect the bitterness to flow from Luongo07 and Mojoworld!
(1) Roberto Luongo was absolutely brilliant throughout the playoffs...he is a monster. Without question, he is deserving of the MVP award. He played on his head last night but, as has been the case, could not score and could not ...
With the Vancouver Canucks season coming to a close many would expect that the blame game would be topic number one around town. In my mind that should not be the focus as the team accomplished well beyond our collective expectations and the only thing that allowed us to toy with the thought of a Stanley Cup parade was our goaltending. Roberto Luongo proved last night, wit...
Since my last blog, I left off where I became a Hurricanes fan rather than just a general hockey fan.
Soon after, I started college a little ways down the road at NC state. A few years later I went to work for the RBC center selling concessions in the stands part time. There were a few games where I made a few bucks, but it was mostly so I could see the games for free....
After an embarrassing double-OT playoff elimination for the Vancouver Canucks fans are turning their attention to the free-agent pool. As a loyal Canucks fan I feel that our lack of offense needs to be taken care of. We have solid defense and amazing goaltending so we have built our game around that. I personally feel that we should trade away Mattias Ohlund. He is no long...
Power forwards...huge, hulking, “whittle-guy” killers that can skate...a goalie’s worst nightmare...and supposedly, the ghost of Christmas past. The new rules adopted my “My NHL” practically sent them to their graves. At the very least, the new rules assured a long, penalty-plagued transition. Many of the typical power forwards became a liability to their team...
First I would like to take this opportunity to say congrats to Sens Fans. Your team was better than mine, and I can accept losing to a better team. Also as a whole you guys have been the classiest group of fans to invade what I am happy to say used to be our arena. Now all I ask of the Sens is they go all the way so I can comfort myself in the fact that it took the Stanley...
Originally my blog was going to be on a different topic altogether, and I'll get back to that topic in the very near future. For now, however, we have to turn our attention to the Ducks vs. Wild series.
But the Wild are already out, you say.
You're right.
You won't find one Wild fan anywhere homer enough to say we're still in it. Nor will you find one that can s...
Well it looks like Eklund and his sources are saying Paul Kariya is coming home to Vancouver! On Eklund's Chart it says Kariyas at 40% for Vancouver and 30% Nashville.
As we all know Vancouver needs some serious offence. So why not look at Kariya,
He's:
-Got offence
-Can score
-Lots of speed
-Hometown boy
-A great fit for the Canucks
The Nucks also are #1 on A...
HomeIceFan writes...
Sorry Eugene: Either Have Us Full-Time, Or Not At All
Posted Monday | Comments 0
This Ottawa-Buffalo series is going to be an exciting one. Geographically, Leaf fans could easily get their hockey fix being smackdab in between these 2 towns. At the same time, it's easy for Leaf fans to hate both these teams. Do you hate the team that crushed your Cup dreams some years ago, or do you hate the team who brags about crushing your dreams, yet never has? Dani...
[img:right]http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/4431/danysabourinzo8.jpg[/img]Dany Sabourin spoke with the media and he said that he'd like to be Luongo's backup for at least one more season.
[quote]Sabourin, surprisingly, said he would be willing to serve as Roberto Luongo's caddy for another season, even though he started just seven times in 82 possibilities.
I'll be...
It looks like Canucks are making huge atempts for offence. For example:
Paul Kariya - 40% - Would work very well as hometown boy
Scott Gomez - 25% - Would bring some good offence to Vancouver
Anson Carter - 25% - Could work with Sedins, cheaper
Ladislav Nagy - 20% - Would bring good offence
Wes Walz - 10% - Always plays good ag...
[b]Second Annual Grimmy Award Winners[/b]
Note: Since my last name is Grimm, the title of the awards are a take-off on my name and the music awards of a similar name.
[b]Hart Trophy: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins[/b]
Runners-up: Roberto Luongo (Vancouver), Vinny Lecavalier (Tampa Bay)
There have been heralded youngsters throughout the history of the NHL. Way...
Supernick writes...
Mes prédictions pour la 3e ronde et Lecavalier contre Price?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Sabres de Buffalo vs Sénateurs d'Ottawa
Les sabres on eu un début de séries plûtot ordinaire contre les rangers mais ils se sont bien repris dans les deux dernières parties. ils ont la chance de compter sur 4 bonnes lignes d'attaque, leur seule faiblesse est l'avantage numérique, ils ne font pas grand chose en avantage. aussi il leur manque un jouer de caractère ...
So the latest talk is trading Koivu away. While this makes a modicum of sense if the return is someone along the lines of Vinny, I for one cannot see it taking place. You can question his skill set, or his physical size, but I think it’s shortsighted, even ludicrous to question the heart and passion this Finn brings to the rink. In the past 3 years I have not missed o...
Dave Nonis' intention is to sign Cory Schneider, and have him start in Manitoba for the Manitoba Moose.
Dave Nonis says: "I believe Cory Schneider is one of the top unsigned goalies in the world, if not the top goaltender. If he's good enough to play for the U.S.A. in their system right now at the world championships, it says a lot about what kind of player he is.
...
The canucks have been out of the playoffs, and for a while, but the team itself took a dramatic transformation. Sure, you can look at the block buster deal of the summer, with Roberto Luongo becoming a hero over a course of after one game, but there is more to the team. Alain Vigneault is up for the Jack adams trophy, and personally i think he is very deserving of this awa...
Canada wins another world hockey championship. Big surprise AND big deal! Why is this tournament played every year during the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Does anybody who follows the NHL care about this tournament right now while the battle for arguably the greatest trophy in sports is taking place, especially if your team is still in it? I'm still trying to figure out the poin...
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...
I guess this is it – final blog of the season.
I wish I were writing this a month from now. Obviously we would have liked to keep playing, but you really need a lot of things to go your way to be successful in the playoffs.
A few reporters were asking me what I thought I had learned – that’s a tough question. I think I really realized how hard it is to win. Tho...
I study hard for my test on human reproduction. Golly, how ironic. It is only too bad that the Hurricanes are not reproducing last year's victory in the playoffs. I am sure that Rod Brind'Amour shares my sentiment.
This next summer is going to be extremely boring. We wont have Cup parties, award ceremonies, photogs and other things that come with championships. Thank God ...
Hi all ! Koivu just mention to the "La Presse" journal that he want to stay, win and have success with the Montreal Canadiens till the end of his carer. The leader of the Habs realize all the potential of the prospect in Hamilton. With the future star forward like the two brother Kostitsyn, Mikhail Grabovski, Kyle Chipchura and Corey Locke, the CH will have one of the best...
It's been reported in the Swedish press recently, it's [url=http://blog.washingtonpost.com/capitalsinsider/2007/05/backstrom_agrees_to_terms_with.html]now official[/url].
Backstrom will be flying over to DC with his family on Monday where the Caps have scheduled a press conference to announce his signing.
Backstrom's playmaking panache should make for the perfect com...
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...
(Believe it or not, this is written as cautious optimism and is not meant as a rant. Read on.)
Toews is not going to turn this team around and make them a playoff team. Toews is not going to make all of the disgruntled fans return. Toews is not going to make Chicago media realize that there is a sport called hockey. Toews is not going to save Chicago Blackhawks Hock...
Before this year I thought a coach’s impact was minimal. Sure he could design a system and give great pep talks, but it was up to the players on the ice to execute. Then along came the day of December 12, 2006. The Blues were scheduled to play the Blackhawks that night and it was announced that Andy Murray would be taking over the vacant head coach position for the Blues...
The Canucks aren't going to have much money to spend, so I don't expect any big-name free agent signings.
[b][u]Out[/b][/u]
• Jan Bulis
• Bryan Smolinski
• Brent Sopel
[b][u]In[/b][/u]
• Ruslan Fedotenko
• Wade Brookbank or any other enforcer
• Marc Chouinard (for training camp)
Daniel Sedin ($3.575M) | Henrik Sedin ($3.575M) | Taylor Pyatt ($1.5...
The reality is setting in that the Sabres season is over and they waisted a glorious opportunity. I’m sitting here trying to figure out what went wrong and the only conclusion I can come to is that the Ottawa Senators were better. I guess when put into perspective the disappointment is eased a bit because the Sabres didn’t deserve to win. In last years Conference Fi...
I actually don't have a problem with NBC bailing on the hockey coverage on the weekend. It was a business decision plain and simple. Hockey gets a 1.3 rating and the Preakness gets 6.3. I would have made the decision to switch as well. Maybe not right away given post time was over an hour away but at some point.
What I am upset about is how Bettman rolled over and just ...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Sabres Payroll a Tight Fit For Drury OR Briere in 2007/08
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
We Buffalo Fans are doing alot of "back of napkin" figuring on the Sabres contracts and salary cap next year but not many are considering the actual dollars they spend compared to their budget. Get out your abucus and follow along.
According to [url]http://www.nhlnumbers.com/buf.html[/url]the Sabres spent $45.43 million (actual dollars) on their players salries last y...
According to the Raleigh News and Observer, Glen Wesley wants to return next season for his 20th season. Here's what Glen had to say:
"That was definitely not the way I wanted to finish the year off," Wesley said. "I'm really looking forward to coming back and getting a fresh start and wanting to win again. That should be everybody's objective in the locker room. We hav...
Despite a disappointing conclusion to the Sabres season it was one of, if not the best season in Franchise history. The Sabres have played in the Stanley Cup finals twice but had never won the Presidents Trophy in franchise history. The Stanley Cup is obviously the most coveted prize but it is equally as difficult to be the best team in the league over an 82 game span. I w...
The recent problems in Nashville have brought up the whole relocation mess again, and there's a recurring theme that I keep hearing:
"[i]City A[/i] doesn't [b]deserve[/b] an NHL team. If anyone [b]deserves[/b] a team it's [i]City B[/i]"
Deserve?
Really???
I mean, we aren't talking about any Human Rights issues here. Nor are we talking about the basic needs ...
Nemmy700 writes...
Because teams from non-traditional markets deserve better.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
There are two types of hockey fans, those that are irked at the concept of a Southern team winning a cup (ie. Carolina, Tampa, Dallas, to name a few) and those that aren't.
As a hockey fan, I'm tired of hearing what team "deserves" to win the cup based on the amount of fans a team has, or how devoted these said fans may be. This is professional sports. The NHL, as is ...
It appears the minor stand-off between the Canucks and soon to be unrestricted free agent Taylor Pyatt may actually be coming to an end. In a good way for both sides.
TSN.ca is reporting that the Canucks who offered $1.2 million per have loosend their stance a litte, meanwhile Pyatt has also come back the other way from his previous demand of about $1.5 - 1.6 million. ...
I'm just listening to Chuck Swirsky on the Fan590, and I hear about this pledge that Toronto's Mayor David Miller, Vancouver's Mayor Sam Sullivan, and Calgary's Mayor Dave Bronconnier, is creating to make Leaf fans, Canucks fans, and Flames fans root for the Senators during this Stanley Cup Finals.
This is absolutely ridiculous! If your a fan of the Leafs you are NOT ro...
At work today, I was listening to several of The Tragically Hip's (I still haven't purchased "World Container" yet!) albums and reminiscing about my first Hip concert experience last month at The Chameleon Club here in Lancaster, PA.
It's a small, dark, smoke-filled box that can hold about as many people as the local Tim Horton's in downtown Toronto. But the magic they ...
I've been fighting off frequent fits of boredom this afternoon, which will quickly be remedied when I depart for Reelfoot Lake in west Tennessee. I've never been there, but they say it's beautiful.
Here's some of the latest signings and players you can expect to see in camps:
Thrashers: Tobias Enström (D, SWE), Ondrej Pavelec (G, CZE- from QMJHL)
Coyotes: Martin Ha...
Watch this blog over the summer for Vancouver Island hockey news, including BCHL, ECHL and the Canucks training camp in Victoria!
WHy is there no talk about that bone-headed shot at Niedermayer at the end of the 2nd period. Captain Danny should have to sit game 5 after that classless attempt to injure the Duck's captain, a real captain.
The NHL is just showing another example of how they continue to be a mediocre league and let this headhunting go on. Does the NBA allow players to throw the bask...
To many fans of Canadian teams, the closest thing to seeing their team in the final rounds of the playoffs is to follow their next crop of superstars in the AHL playoffs. For the Montreal Canadiens, there couldn't be a better indication of the future of the most storied franchise in hockey history than the play of their AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. While many neve...
Front page of the Goldstream Gazette has the Canucks holding their main and prospects camp and the Bear Mountain Arena in Colwood from Sept 5-18, Len Barrie saying a decision will come in " a few weeks" with the Blue and White game scheduled for the SOFMC in Victoria
Check out VI Hockey Buzz daily for updates during the camp!
No surprise that the NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman doesn't know his hockey history forgetting the beloved 1925 Stanley Cup Champs, Victoria Cougars when he proclaimed the Ducks the first Stanley Cup winners from the West Coast last night. I'm sure the press release apology is on its way.....
Leave it to my fellow Habs fans to find a dilemma or crisis at any point of the season. If its not some crisis involving Russians, it [i]has[/i] to be something involving goaltenders...
Much to my delight, I watched Game #5 of the Calder Cup Finals last night. It was the Hershey Bears vs. our very own Hamilton Bulldogs. Much fuss was made about Carey Price being poised ...
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...
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...
I go onto hockey boards everywhere, from Canadiens.com, to Hockeysfuture.com (Montreal Canadiens, message board). On each of these sites, and many more their are always wants for big time players, through trades or free agency. Fans want Drury, Briere, Gomez.... These wants are un - realistic, except maybe Briere, but at 6 - 7 million, i don't want him. I've been proposiin...
Well here we are. We can expect that the ink will be dry on a new contract for Mats Sundin this week. At least before Friday. I still have a mixed feelings about this. I understand that he is in the twilight of his career and that he wants to do everything he can to win with the Leafs. It's a great story but will it happen? Can it happen? I would hope that part of th...
The top name that keeps getting thrown around town as rumours swirl is Ryan Smyth heading to the Leafs, this seems to be the Leafs #1 target this off season with the backline all shored up pending Colaiacovo's signing which should be done shortly, what seems to escape many people's minds is that the Leafs are also looking to add some much needed grit to the lineup with the...
Loyal Readers,
Welcome to my first blog on the Hockey Buzz site. It is that time of year. Sometimes I think it is as much fun as the season. Our beloved Oil have a lot of holes to fill, no untouchables, loads of draft picks and room under the Salary Cap. That is an equation for an exciting off season.
The biggest hole in my opinion is defensemen. The new NHL you n...
[img:left]http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y102/Zacobius/matshor_78503.jpg[/img] Well we knew it was coming. Originally reports 2 months ago but DD at TSN, Mats was offered a 2 year deal, 11mil or so. That's what everyone was expecting and while many did not like it, they have come to accept it. So then last night, DD reports a 1 year deal. Huh?
This caught me off ...
Current Maple Leafs salary structure as counted against cap as of June 13/07
Bryan McCabe 5.75 million
Mats Sundin 5.50 million
Pavel Kubina 5.00 million
Tomas Kaberle 4.25 million
Darcy Tucker 3.00 million
Alex Ponikarovsky 2.105 million
Hal Gill 2.075 million
Nik Antropov 2.05 million
Andrew Raycroft 2.00 million
Alex Steen 900,690
Cha...
As reported on tsn.ca, it appears Mike Keenan could be back in the NHL - as the head coach of the Calgary Flames.
I'm in shock and disbelief. If this is a rumour then TSN got burnt bad but if it's true, God help Kipper!
The Anaheim Ducks changed hands for $80M two years ago. Balsille agrees to pay $220M+ less than 18 months later. Apparently NHL franchise prices are going up faster than Alberta real estate.
Even if the general business community agrees that Balsille overpaid, this significantly drives up the price of an NHL franchise. As well, if the NHL does pursue expansion, suddenly...
Wahington caps
[img]http://www.nhldigest.com/wp-admin/images/Capsnewjerseys.jpg[/img]
June 30th is the date when we will find out what the new salary cap is for the 2007-2008 season. In my opinion, it needs to be high. Higher than expected. Some of the numbers being thrown around are 48, 49, and maybe even 50. Eklund stated recently that the cap is set to rise to 52, and I don't mind that. Players want more money (obviously), teams are stuck and are willing...
Vancover Cauncks
[IMG]http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h162/flyershockey81/canucks-uniforms.gif[/IMG]
In an article in the [url=http://calsun.canoe.ca/Sports/OtherSports/2007/06/18/4269554-sun.html]Calgary Sun[/url], it reports Martin Gelinas who is eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1 would like to sign with either the Calgary Flames or Vancouver Canucks to finish off his career.
[quote]Martin Gelinas and his family are back in town for the summer, comforted...
I think It's safe to say that Roberto Luongo is the single best thing that's happened to the Vancouver Canucks in a very long time, if not, ever. But what happens when the all-star goalie gets, dare I say, injured or gets tired of playing over seventy games a season, what then? Dany Sabourin had a mediocre start to the season but as he played a few more games he seemed mor...
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[img:left]http://www.hockeyheadquarters.com/images/hockey-cards/c55/vezina-rcx2th.jpg[/img]In April 2007 a mint graded 1911-12 C55 Georges Vezina rookie card shattered the record price ever paid for a hockey card at $100K. The April 2007 issue of Beckett Hockey magazine published an artilce titled "The Greatest Card Ever Sold" focusing on the sale of this Georges Vezina...
Someone please tell me if this can be done. There has to be a way to manipulate the cap. So many times there are contracts given with escalating salaries through out the term of the contract, my question is, can there be declining contracts? The reason I ask is because if there is, what is stopping a GM from signing a player, or players to very long Dipietro like deals, an...
[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 ...
Luongo07 writes...
My 2007-2008 Vancouver Canucks...disclaimer included
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The wait is over. Since the Vancouver Canucks met thier fate in the 2007 Stanley Cup playoffs I have spent several hours here and there just trying to get a feel as to where the franchise sits in terms of what their team will look like next fall. I have seen several posts both here and on the CDC message board that would lead you to believe the the Canucks have millions of...
[b]Originally posted on PredNation.com[/b]
On June 21st, Damien Cox of the Toronto Star, thestar.com, wrote an article discussing the impending Predators sale and the lack of movement by the Board of Governors. What follows is my rebuttal to Mr. Cox.
I was able to read your article entitled Why is Bettman so Scared of Canada?. Let me first say that I generally ...
The Vancouver Canucks traded disgrunteld prospect Jason King to the Anahiem Ducks in exchange for minor league star Ryan Shannon. Not only does this trade releave the Canucks of yet another underachieveing prospect but it also provides GM Dave Nonis some depth and the ability to make tough decisions come free agency time.
Shannon will probably secure himself a spot on t...
The Vancouver Canucks have acquired one piece of the puzzle that will help them go far... Ryan Shannon. This shows me that Nonis is willing to make this team a little more gritty and fortunately , A little more mean. I'm not suggesting that Shannon will play a HUGE role in a cup win , but more of a checking , scoring kind of role. Now , I suggest we keep Naslund for a year...
The Leafs left this weekends NHL Draft with a few extra pieces then when they arrived, an impressive move by Fergusen picking up Toskala to shore up the Leafs goaltending and adding gritty winger Bell from the Sharks and still drafting Oshawa Generals winger Dale Mitchell a 40+ goal scorer this past season in the third round equals a great weekend in Leafland. The situatio...
Willie Mitchell has been mentioned in a possible trade that would send the Canucks defensive stalward back to the Minnesota Wild and the Canucks shedding themselves of the $3.5 million dollar salary. Say it ain't so!
Mitchell is extremely overpaid if you look at him for a complete game but seriously you do not look to Willie for the offensive side of his game. Mitchell'...
I'll keep this one simple, straightforward, and to the point:
1) Chicago----Patrick Kane
Obviously the knock on Kane is size and for him he's going to have to use his agility more, which has been compared to Martin St. Louis', to continue to be productive at the next level. He runs the powerplay extremely well on the half wall and has great hands around the net. This sou...
It seems like the Vancouver Canucks are the only team in the NHL that aren't going to be jumping right into the free agent frenzy come July 1st, simply because of the salary cap. However, this doesn’t mean we won’t see the Canucks make a pitch for a quality scorer by way of trade or even by moving a big player to free up some cap space. Here are some of the big names t...
Here we go again:
11) Carolina----Brandon Sutter
May have the best all-around game in the draft, but I still think this is a little high for him consideringCherepanov was still on the board. Needs to fill out a lot and still develop a little more grit. Yes he's a Sutter, but he isn't as Sutter-y as others. Has good character to fall back on if his skills don't make him a...
Cleon_Daskalakis writes...
Reunited and It Feels So Good: Peca to Sabres!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
A few weeks ago (maybe even a few moths ago), Eklund floated a rumor out there about the possibility of Michael Peca returning to the Sabres. When I read it back then, I immediately dismissed it as nonsense (no offense Ek!).
Now however, looking through the lens of the Sabres current situation (which doesn’t looks so rosy), Peca seems like a very good option for 3r...
Despite the chatter about what free agents the Habs have in their crosshairs, I'd like to interject and remind the fan base that historically (i.e. the last 5 years at least) the Canadiens have not been key players in free agency and until they do something to make me think otherwise, I'm not holding out hope that this is the year they acquire a big name to be the face of...
Luongo07 writes...
Clarke Poached Nonis...Can We Expect More This Off-Season?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
During "Crazy-Time" last summer Flyers GM Bob Clarke approached Ryan Kesler and made an absurd off to the underachieving restricted free agent. The offer was for a one year deal at $1.9 million dollars, to a player that had far from met any expectations and seemingly could not put the puck in the Pacific Ocean if he were standing on Honolulu Island.
Don't get me wrong, ...
I AM ALL IN FAVOR OF TRADING FOR MARLEAU, OR TRADING FOR TANGUAY, BUT, GETTING RID OF RYDER, WILL NOT MAKE ANYTHING BETTER. THERE HAS TO BE AWAY OF KEEPING THIS GUY HERE. HE HAD THE MOST GOALS THIS YEAR, AND WE TREATED HIM BETTER THAN JUST A QUALIFYING OFFER, HE MIGHT REPEAT AND GET MORE THAN 30 THIS YEAR. TRADE A GOALIE, THAT WE HAVE A FEW SPARES, IMO, HUET IS OUR #1, SOR...
I AM ALL IN FAVOR OF TRADING FOR MARLEAU, OR TRADING FOR TANGUAY, BUT, GETTING RID OF RYDER, WILL NOT MAKE ANYTHING BETTER. THERE HAS TO BE AWAY OF KEEPING THIS GUY HERE. HE HAD THE MOST GOALS THIS YEAR, AND WE TREATED HIM BETTER THAN JUST A QUALIFYING OFFER, HE MIGHT REPEAT AND GET MORE THAN 30 THIS YEAR. TRADE A GOALIE, THAT WE HAVE A FEW SPARES, IMO, HUET IS OUR #1, SOR...
General Manager Dave Nonis has managed to bring back power forward Jeff Cowan after Cowan agreed to a 2-year in the '$700,000' range per season.
Cowan joined the Canucks via waivers back in December of 2006 just in time as the Canucks started their turnaround. Not expected to put up very big numbers but Cowan did experience a lengthly streak late in the season with six...
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...
The NHL announced that the Salary Cap will be $50.3 million this upcoming season. And before we get into the rest of this blog, I say (Sarcasm On) 'good job NHL' for releasing the Salary Cap figure approximately 48 hours before the UFA period begins on July 1st, what a way to provide the teams enough time to determine who they can fit or not fit under the cap! (Sarcasm O...
One team that, i think, is going to struggle the most this summer, with the new cap, is Nashville
No player want's to sign there, now because of their indecisiveness for a new owner, and the lease running out after the 08 season. When Kariya goes to the market, that puts them in the basement, cap-wise. I heared Home Ice, today, that after trading Vokoun and losing Kari...
Sure we don't have an owner (that's a minor detail right?) but the Preds have money to burn in the free agent market. With the NHL announcing the new salary cap numbers yesterday the Preds, like it or not, will find themselves being buyers just to reach the 34.3 million dollar minimum.
At this point the Preds sit with 14 players under contract for a total cap hit ...
The announcement on Friday afternoon that the cap was going up to $50.2 Million was great news for leafs as they already have committed approximately $43 Million, which leaves $7-8 million to play with. if the cap had only come in around $48 Million mark before the NHLPA voted in favor of the 5% increase, they would've have only had about $5-6 Million, and wouldn't have be...
1st Day Free Agent Signings:
Todd White: Atlanta Thrashers 4 year 2.4 Million per year
Tom Poti: Washington Capitals 4 year 3.5 Million per year
Richard Zednik: Florida Panthers 2 year 1.6 Million per year
Brett McLean: Florida Panthers 3 year 1.7 Million per year
Mathieu Schneider: Anaheim Ducks 2 year 5.6 Million per year
Daniel Briere: Philedelphia Fly...
TheHabsFan writes...
Why the Montreal Canadiens can't compete for UFAs...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
During the TSN broadcast, the panelists said it. During the singings, the players said it. When Rivet and Recchi left, they said it. It's no secret, yet everyone seems to miss it.
The problem is not taxes! The problem is not language! The problem is certainly NOT money!
THE PROBLEM IS THE DAMN MEDIA! Players do not want to come here and get their lives ruined by a bu...
The day started off very slowly and at 1:48 Bob Mackenzie broke the huge signing of Todd White to the Thrashers, not the start everyone expected but that was one of the few reasonable signings made. I guess everyone decided to go jump into their time machine and go back to July 2002 when big deals were being handed out left right and center, and I am afraid thats where we ...
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...
With Vancouver Canucks seemingly press against the salary cap I am willing to give General Manager Dave Nonis some slack but in the same breathe when players of this ilk are sitting there with zero compensation (except $$$) why haven't we heard the slightest rumor of a player coming to Vancouver.Fact of the matter is that you can go over the cap in the off-season you just ...
My message is to the [b]MEDIA OF MONTREAL[/b]. [b][u]Enough is enough!!![/u][/b] I, and the fans of this great franchise have had it!!! I have said it for years that the media is who manages the team, not the organization. Year in and year out, we see the same trend building, worse and worse as the years go by. This time around, you will not blame Gainey or the rest o...
OK we screwed up not keeping Drury and anyone who could check left the Year Before, Grier, Mckee.
So out of whats left of FA pool I will try and salvage a little of our dignity.
1. Sign Shanahan or Selanne. We need people to buy up these new Jerseys and two of the top sellers just left town. SHANAHAN BACK WITH RANGERS
...
[b]The Toronto Maple Leafs are likely headed back to the playoffs.[/b]
As a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs, I do not like to see them miss the playoffs, I do however, like to see some form of direction, the good news with the salary cap rising to 50.3 million is that the Leafs now have the ability to speed through the "Let's get younger phase" which wasn't working ...
According to NHL.com, Brad Isbister is currently a member of the Vancouver Canucks, does anyone know of any articles confirming this deal? It seems like it may be a misprint because it's been on the website for a little while now and no official announcement has been made.
If, in fact, this is true then I think the Canucks have found themselves another Taylor Pyatt to p...
[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/Heymateo/smhockeywoodtopper.jpg[/img]
Lombardi [url=www.lifeinhockeywood.com]wheels and deals [/url]and makes a few steals.
Regardless of what you think about Sutter, one can't help but somewhat admire his vagueness in managing the Flames. Almost every trade or signing comes without warning or anticipation, and he never makes trades for the sake of doing so. I have no idea how he keeps the media out of his office.
With that in mind, as excited I was for the UFA season this year after reading...
Great article on Hockeybuzz by Daniel Tolensky that shows exactly why the cap is broken and how the new NHL favours the big markets teams even more now than before.
Over the last three years of the Briere deal, his actual salary will be $12M while his cap number will be $19.5M. Over the last two it is $5M versus $13M.
So move along to the 5th or 6th year of that deal...
"Vancouver Canucks Senior Vice-President and General Manager Dave Nonis announced today that the Canucks have signed centre Byron Ritchie and winger Brad Isbister. In keeping with club policy, no financial terms of the deal will be released."
- http://www.canucks.com/pressreleases.asp?sectionID=31&id=735
A couple of third or fourth liners, curious to what the ter...
Patrick Cwiklinski writes...
Schneider Signs, Isbister, Ritchie Join Canucks
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Cory Schneider has officially signed his first NHL contract with the Vancouver Canucks after spending the last two seasons with Boston College and breaking a record for most shutouts in a single season with eight. Schneider will most likely play as a starter for the Manitoba Moose and may very well see some ice time in Vancouver. However, it has been said this could be a m...
But getting there.
General Manager Dave Nonis made several signings this morning and each one of them may not make a huge difference in the outcome but they are all key cogs in the future of the Vancouver Canucks.
The morning began with the signing of highly touted goaltending prospect Cory Schneider to a multi-year deal. Now that this luctrative chip is in the fol...
Just hours after signing Schneider, Isbister and Ritchie, the Vancouver Canucks are at it again, this time signing goalie Curtis Sanford to a one year, $600,000 contract. Sanford joins the Canucks after spending his last three seasons with the St. Louis Blues. The Ontario native finished last season with a 3.18 goals against and a .888 save percentage in 31 games.
I thi...
I was pondering today, how the NHL wasted that entire lockout year, and where do we stand now? The Rich teams can spend pretty much the same amount of money, they could back before the lockout and now we have the issue of all the "poor" teams struggling to stay alive in the "new" NHL. I feel that a this whole Nashville issue is a matter of the wrong place for a hockey te...
July 3rd Free Agent Sugnings:
Greg Classen: Vancouver Canucks (Terms Not Disclosed)
Brad Isbister: Vancouver Canucks 525 Thousand per year
Byron Richie: Vancouver Canucks 675 Thousamd per year
Matt Carkner: Ottawa Senators 1 year deal
Jiri Notvotny: Columbus Blue Jackets 2 year deal
Mathieu Darche: Tampa Bay Lightning 1 year
Dainius Zubrus: New Jersey ...
I am glad that everyone is overpaying for everyone. Drury is a great leader but, I cant see paying 7 mil to a guy who has never scored 70 points in a season. Thornton, Iginla, and maybe Briere are the only deserving ones of a 7+ a year contract from a team this season. JR is playing it smart and not signing guys for 4,5,6 or even 7 years to the Canes and has no idea i...
Here's what I know about the Canucks GM, Dave Nonis.
He is a patient, patient man.
As a fan, it's frustrating as all get out. Especially when you enjoy the offseason as much as I do. It's not that I wanted Nonis to get into the bidding for Drury, Gomez, or Briere.
I didn't.
But Nonis has signed and dealt for a total of almost 10 players in the past week, yet ...
Are the Capitals done signing free agents or trading to get help with their current roster?
I believe M. McPhee is done with the big stuff and will only round-up his lineup for opening night.
Here's a look at our lineup:
Goalies
Olaf Kolzig
Brent Johnson
Frederic Cassivi
We can assume there will be no change in net as Kolzig is still our #1 and no prospect a...
This off season has been and interesting off season and a predictable one, Sutter never waits till the last second to get things done. Well for instance his top forwards had only one year left , what does he do does he leave that until the last minute no he does it a year a head of time. Iggy locked up for five years 35 mil not only does he get done early he does it s...
This off season has been an interesting off season and a predictable one, Sutter never waits till the last second to get things done. Well for instance his top forwards had only one year left , what does he do does he leave that until the last minute no he does it a year a head of time. Iggy locked up for five years 35 mil not only does he get done early he does it so...
Last fall, when Bobby Clarke was asked about why he tendered Ryan Kesler an offer sheet, he went on the offensive and blamed it on Nonis. Well, first he said he followed the rules as outlined in the CBA, and if you don't like the rules, call the commissioner.
But the thing he said that was of real intersest was when he questioned by Nonis had left his RFA unsigned f...
The habs this year will be a taste of whats to come. Without the arrival of a first line UFA (once again) the Canadiens finally have the luxury of having good building blocks at every position. The lines this year will hopefully involve a rookie or second year player on at least three of four lines, and since these rookies are highly touted prospects, this is an excelle...
brownelvis writes...
Why this UFA Period Proves that the Lockout Was Worthwhile .
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Dan Tolensky wrote an interesting Blog wondering if July 1st, 2007 was the day that we wondered if the Lockout was a waste of time. I usually love what you're writing because he don't miss much. This time I think that he has. I say, however, that the NHL convinced the NHLPA that they would play for funny money that may, or may not, be worth an actual US Greenback ... for t...
This Rumor has poluted CDC, HF Boards, and Canucks Central already, and there have been some mixed fealings about the rumor. On HF boards Barney Gumble Wrote: "The only two I want to see in his contract is "two-way deal". Course that isn't realistic I know. Two years? Sure, if his salary is under a million per year. Else, pass.", This is the best post about the Carter rum...
I think the moves that would help the leafs would be to sign Alexei Yashin and Micheal Peca. Next get rid of Raycroft and Kubina in a trade to the Yotes for Jovanovski and Cujo. Then sign Brian Berad who in won the Calder in the 1996-1997 season and racked up some good points with Columbus in the 2005-2006.
IMO that would be the best set of moves for my Leafs.
Thoug...
I think the moves that would help the Leafs the most would be to sign Alexei Yashin and Micheal Peca. Next get rid of Raycroft and Kubina in a trade to the Yotes for Jovanovski and Cujo. Then sign Brian Berad who won the Calder in the 1996-1997 season and racked up some good points with Columbus in the 2005-2006 season.
IMO that would be the best set of moves for my L...
killab4061 writes...
Sabres Rookie Camp Day 2/ Bringing HB Sabres fans together
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Todays rookie camp brought about 300 people strong to the Amherst Pepsi Center to see the future of the Buffalo Sabres. Again today there were two rinks going with about 20 players on each. Lindy was there today running the practice and was having the players go through a lot of puck moving and stick handling drills. Drew Stafford was leading the way through most of the dr...
In Josh Plummers Last Entry He Posted [quote]In his latest blog, Eklund says the Canucks are now one of the teams who could have an interest in #88, Eric Lindros[/quote] I think that this would not be a good signing, sure hes a good player, [u]When He is NOT HURT![/u] I cant help but wonder were Eklund gets this stuff from? Some of it makes no sense! Any how heres my favor...
This is an interesting topic I got into a great discussion about with some guys in Tim's blog. The Flyers money situation after this season... I know its early but bare with me its pretty intriguing to me...
Players Under Contract
Offense- 8 Players at 24.137 cap hit
Gagne, Briere, Knuble, Upshall, Lupul, Hartnell, Kapanen, Eager
Defense- 5 players at 16.305 cap ...
Links
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157600720204954/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy3OyB4VZPQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opC6wKLcoVc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDMnv7rm-Ws
There is no video from the first session due to battery conservation.
10 am Group
45= RJ anderson, 58= Oskar Bartulis, 61=Josh Beaulieu, 51= Freddie Cabana...
This is an interesting topic I got into a great discussion about with some guys in Tim's blog. The Flyers money situation after this season... I know its early but bare with me its pretty intriguing to me...
Players Under Contract
Offense- 8 Players at 24.137 cap hit
Gagne, Briere, Knuble, Upshall, Lupul, Hartnell, Kapanen, Eager
Defense- 5 players at 16.305 cap ...
Who knows who will be signed before July 1 2008 or how much money will be available… but below is my ranking of the “prime” players who are set to be free agents next year. By “prime” I mean players who will attract some big money… I left out most of the players over 30 as well. I also put together a list of next year’s restricted free agent crop…. Or a...
With the past few weeks the NHL has seen some outragious signings. There have been questions about how healthy is the NHL and is the new CBA working? We will know the answer about the CBA next year if the salary cap stays around the same and the teams that spent alot of money with long term contracts(Flyers, Avalanche) will not have the cap space to spend next year. Explai...
Bill Torrey had a difficult job in 1972. He was the General Manager of the expansion New York Islanders, graced with the blessings of several excellent draft years to come. But the difficult part had to be the other 16 GMs burning his ears with trade offers for his early draft choices.
Torrey was smart. He held on to his picks despite the temptations to play "lets make ...
Vancouver Canucks general manager Dave Nonis just keeps making deals, he’s re-signed Kevin Bieksa to a three year deal and picked up veteran blue-liner Aaron Miller. It seems Nonis wants to build a stronger defensive presence around Roberto Luongo which is just what the team needs after seeing their all-star goalie get pushed around all season and especially in the playo...
With the signing of former LA Kings defencemen Aaron Miller on Monday, the Canucks are creating quite the rumor buzz around the league. With an NHL ready defensive core of 8 dmen, the canucks look to be unloading a defencemen to pick up some much needed scoring. Although some of the rumors out there are absolutely absurd, like one heard on the TEAM 1040 in Vancouver this...
Multiple league sources have informed the Sabres as the team chosen to represent the league in an "Ice Bowl" on the first day of 2008. The opponent, most likely,would be the Pittsburgh Penguins as it should. The combination of Sidney Crosby and Malkin copuled with facing an appointent who's fans will fill the Ralph in a matter of hours will be outstanding. The genius behin...
After reading all of the Negative Blogs on the Sabres and All of the Press of the Former Captains Whom Will Remain Nameless. I figured I would write about something that could get the fans Smiling again. See We have a Terrific Team, Two players dont make a team and as far as Im concerned this team is headed in the right direction THE FUTURE.
So thinking in the future....
The Blues are into a transitioning mood as we get ready for the 2007-08 season. So far the reports from development camp are more than positive. There are four or more players ready to play now. I'm thinking I like Perron playing in the AHL this year instead of Quebec. This is going to hopefully pressure vetrans to play hard or force them to be traded. Unfortunately s...
Ok, lots of people seem to think this guy is less then he is... I'm gonna go through a quick analysis of my own... hopefully some of you will see this guy the way I do.
[b]Durability and Injury[/b]
Now... lots of ppl, who cheer for whatever team they cheer for seem to think this guy is easily injured. He isn't.
He has been injured twice, both have been freak injuries....
Ok this is my first blog, didn't know what I wanted to do, but the cap is something that grabs me, the way the different GMs try to handle it. So here goes, Below you will find your team, how many players they have signed to NHL contracts and their open space. I am filling this out with the assumption of 13 forwards and 7 dmen and 2 stoppers per roster. I have tried to s...
In my first blog, I'm going to talk about free agency. In my opinion the CAP hasn't really taught GMs anything. They are still overpaying guys and signing players to ridiculous contract terms (8 years for Scott Gomez, 7 for Briere, 6 for Timonen). By the time these guys enter free agency again they will be in their late 30s, early 40s! How do these teams know that these pl...
DriveForFive21 writes...
Isles ink Johnson and Campoli....Morris or Markov next??
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The islanders continued to make improvements this week by signing two young defensemen with alot of offensive potential. Aaron Johnson, a 24-year-old defenseman, was picked up on Thursday and i am very pleased with this signing. It gives the islanders something they really lacked last year, defensive depth. Think about it instead of our only backup plans being Allan Rourke...
Ok guys this is my first blog, so ill start out by saying i am an 17 year old islander season ticket holder of believe it or not 15 years. Ive been watching the islanders disappointments year in and year out and i really think we have a chance to start to turn things around if not this year in the years to come.
For the first time ever we finally seem to have a couple ...
Id like to start of this blog by giving my condolences to the Ferguson family may John Sr. rest in peace.
Now to this blogs topic and that is what can the Leafs do to obtain another scoring forward. The Leafs currently sit with about 1.5 million in Cap room and an easy move could be signing an UFA to suit up for the team but not many are out there that could really make...
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...
I frequent the Canucks' forums and I also frequent this site as I wait impatiently for the start of another season.
Despite rumors of Yashin or Lindros or Elias coming here via free agency or trade, I am not convinced this is the time to make a big move. I don't know that Nonis is convinced either.
The Stanley Cup takes practice to win for most teams. Tampa didn't wi...
Having gone to the Habs rookie camp for the past three years, I have been able to see those who are lined up to play for Les Glorieux for many years to come. Last year it was Guillame Latendresse, Kyle Chipchura, Sergei Kostitsyn, and of course Carey Price who stood out from the hoi poloi. The focus of most of our prospects over the past few years has obviously been offens...
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 ...
Sather sends Matt Cullen back to Carolina for what looks like spare parts. Is this simply a salary dump to get better control of the cap and leave Sather some flexibility during the season or a precursor of another move?
The players coming back are:
Andrew Hutchinson D - 27 years old and played 41 games last year for the Canes. Great a possible 7th D-man on a team th...
Yesterday morning Eklund reported that there was a rumor that the Canadiens are interested in Nikolai Zherdev. Eklund also reported a few weeks ago that the Oilers and the Islanders may also be looking at him as well. Dealing Zherdev could end up profitable if done correctly.
First of all, Nikolai Zherdev is a forward who has butted heads with Ken Hitchcock. Just like a...
Calgary Flames - C
Key Acquisitions:
Owen Nolan, Adrian Aucoin, Cory Sarich
Question Marks:
Offensive Production, Mike Keenan
One of the best defensive teams in the league got better and deeper on defense this off season. The additions of Cory Sarich and Adrian Aucoin make one of the best bluelines in the league better and solidifies the Flames as one of the ...
Even though it's still early, and there's still quite a few moves that need to be made-or should I say will be made-here's a quick look at a few guys that I see as being on the spot in Philly, and a few who might be gone....
[b]On The Spot[/b]
5. Joffrey Lupul.
Lupul is basically an offensive player. He doesn't play defense, isn't a great skater and doesn't use ...
Even though it's still early, and there's still quite a few moves that need to be made-or should I say will be made-here's a quick look at a few guys that I see as being on the spot in Philly, and a few who might be gone....
[b]On The Spot[/b]
5. Joffrey Lupul.
Lupul is basically an offensive player. He doesn't play defense, isn't a great skater and doesn't use ...
I was looking over one of my favorite forums and on there was a map showing the locations of all the teams in the league. This picture awoke me (already knew that it was bad) of how unfair the eastern teams have it.
These are prime examples of advantages out east. Drury moves from Buffalo to New York... He doesn't really have to move. Gomez moves from New Jersey to New...
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...
[img:right]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1081/855832279_cb08a30250_m.jpg[/img]
What makes a man cave a great escape form the riggers of everyday life? That is a great question. I have come up with a list:
1. Pick a Theme & go with it!!!!!!!
2. Big Screen TV
3. Seating I went with the sectional couch & Custom Bar
4. Surround sound system
5. Video game sysytem- My c...
Recently the fighting debate has come back into the forefront. Derek Boogaard's actions of teaching children how to defend themselves on the ice has brought the debate back up to a boiling point, with no end in sight. I have a hard time with fighing because, as much as I love to watch a good fight, I can sympathize with those who feel that it has no part in the game.
...
GilPerrault writes...
Michael Peca: To Be or Not To Be; That is the Question!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Michael Peca yearns to be a Sabre, and the Sabres need a center who can win faceoffs, kill penalties and add leadership. I guess the question is, should the Sabres sign Peca or wait and see if there is a younger, healthier center that can be had later on after the arbitration hearings are complete?
Does Darcy Regier believe it is time for the younger players such as De...
Hi my son and I attended the prospect Camp this week and I thought I would spend some time and give you an idea on who I thought gave the best impressions in the Camp
[b] 27 Andrei Taratukhin[/b]
By Far the best prospect Knows what to do with a puck very smart great passer. The thing that impressed me the most was his strength I had no idea of how strong he was w...
Mike Peca only played 35 games last season but was big part of the PK.
Peca in the Lineup [b]85%[/b] PK
Without Peca in the Lineup [b]78%[/b] PK
Thats a 7% drop in the PK when Peca isnt in the line up. He not only can kill penalties but can play against teams best centres ex. Speeza, Koivu, Savard, Crosby etc. He will also bring leadership to a team that could us...
I have a oil on wood painting of Maurice "Rocket" Richard that was painted back in the 1950's. I purchased it from his estate auction after he passed a few years ago and it has since hung proudly in my hockey shop overlooking about 5000 sq. ft. of hockey gear. I just had an older gentleman that came in to get his skates sharpened and noticed it hanging on the wall. He puff...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
An open letter to the NHL Officials Association...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Dear Sirs,
We have a great game. You have spent your careers and lives in service to that belief. It is your responsibility and sacred duty to do everything and anything in your power to ensure that NHL officiating remains beyond reproach. We have a great game and we need to keep it that way. The fans of tomorrow depend upon it.
I "bet" David Stern thought he h...
Some random thoughts as I get ready to hit the open road later this week:
[b]Was the lockout a waste of time? Did I miss a year of hockey for nothing?[/b] I am a Flyers fan and I will lay that out first. I love that they signed Danny Briere for a long time and for huge money - because that is what it took to seal the deal. That being said, I do wonder if that lost y...
Yesterday kicked off the beginning of the 2007 Arbitration Hearings, with the Washington Capitals and Brooks Liach on the top of the list. A restricted free agent may file for arbitration if negotiations between the player and the team holding their rights reach a stalemate. This off-season 30 players filed for arbitration on July 5th, 11 of those cases have since negotiat...
Ok so here is what i dont get. You come on these sites (so far this is the best one i have found for not having the problem) and you find fans hating on other fans. prime example leafs and sens fans. I am a leafs fan thru and thru but in no way do i hate sens fans. I am not a huge fan of the team but in no way can i say they suck. At the same time the leafs did not ma...
I was a the flames Prospect Camp, here are my favorite Players
27 Andrei Taratukhin
Good Scorer, fast Skater, and good passer. I met him him at the Prospect camp, I liked him a lot really nice guy.
55 Adam Pardy
huge, big body in front, stops goals , great body Checker,
41 Dustin Boyd
Real Good scorer, also a fast skater plays the physical game....
Before I start, let me just thank all of you out there for all your emails that you sent to me in the recent months.
For those who know me, I don't really have to say much. You know my track record, and I think, from my stand point, that it's a pretty darn good one. For those who are just tuning in for the first time to read my posts, you'll be the judge, and hopefully...
[i][b]Why Alfie Will Never Be Traded[/b][/i]
A couple of days ago, while engaged in the usual friendly banter of the Hockeybuzz Chatroom, a certain blogger that covers Les Glorieux, came in and confidently proclaimed that Daniel Alfredsson would be traded from Ottawa if the Senators didn't have a successful year. Being the ardent Sens fan that I am, I felt obliged to ch...
I am not one to pin too much hope on rumors, hockey or otherwise. I have learned, over the years, to expect the worst. When it doesn't happen, I can be pleasantly surprised.
But now I'm just confused, and it's EK's fault.
Every morning, I faithfully check the Rumor Chart. I check out all of the Ex-Coyotes, I check on the current Coyotes up for contract renewal. But f...
AlexanderScharf writes...
NYR- To Be or Not To Be: Peca, Jovo, Avery, Hossa
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
What are the Rangers going to do next? Although the Rangers should be content with what they have done this off-season, especially considering that they do not have alot of cap room, rumors continue to swirl about a big move that they are planning. I've heard the Rangers are interested in Ed Jovanovski and Michael Peca and they are yet to resign Sean Avery and Marcel Hossa...
In the "Hockey Hearsay" section of sportsnet.ca Carol Alt attempted to defend her boy toy, Alexei Yashin, calling the bought out former Isles captain "misunderstood"
"I think he needs to go where people understood him and where he's looked at like a god," Alt told the [i]Ottawa Citizen[/i]. "He wants to come back (to the NHL), but I just think he needs to clear his hea...
As many of you are probably well aware Derek Boogaard along with his brother Aaron have started the Derek and Aaron Boogaard Fighting Camp. A camp solely designed to, like the name would suggest teach players the basics of how to fight in hockey. Not surprisingly this camp has come under heavy criticism with people claiming that this promotes fighting and encourages young ...
As many of you are probably well aware Derek Boogaard along with his brother Aaron have started the Derek and Aaron Boogaard Fighting Camp. A camp solely designed to, like the name would suggest teach players the basics of how to fight in hockey. Not surprisingly this camp has come under heavy criticism with people claiming that this promotes fighting and encourages young ...
Speaking to a source close to the Rangers front office, I've been informed that the Rangers are willing to swing a deal for Sens defensemen Wade Redden. I have also been told that if it doesn't happen, the Rangers will look at Jovo again, but will most likely go into opening night as is. Also, watch for Hossa to be moved. The Sharks have made an offer.
I have much more ...
I just got home from the ceremonies inducting Brian Burke, Bret Hull, Dennis Kearns and Bob Hall into the BC Hockey Hall of Fame here in Penticton BC. It was an absolutely amazing ceremony mc'd as usual by former BCTV sportscaster Bernie Pascal. This is an annual event sells out every year and this year was no different. Anybody that is able to come to this event should as...
Its pouring cats and dogs up here in the catskill mountains so while I would normally spend my Sunday afternoon in the great outdoors, I am currently stuck in the cabin in my camp armed with only my brain and a Motorola Q. And so, I decided to write about the upcoming arbitration hearing of Sean Avery which will take place tomorrow.
A quick review, Avery, a 27 year old...
I know we've all heard about the Patrice Brisebois rumors but it has me wondering, why would Bob Gainey be looking to pay 700k of our remaining cap space to Patrice of all people.
Check our current defesive line up:
1:Markov-Komisarek
2:Hamrlik-Streit(or Gorges)
3:Bouillon-Dandeneault
The way I see it, we're better off with either of the two of our bottom three ...
For all the morons who keep saying the Rangers are in trouble with the salary cap, you are WRONG. Yes, the Rangers ARE over the cap now but they can easily get under by the deadline without moving any players that would play for the team. So please, read this short explanation and educate yourselves. This way you wont end up looking foolish and being annoying.
The New ...
Habs cap space inclusive of Ryder signing: 6.317 million. With Brisebois signed, they would still have roughly 5.6 million in space to use for a solid UFA. Dany Markov comes to mind. Possibly some really good forward.
*** Patrice Brisebois apparently very close to a deal with the habs. Some might even call it a done deal. It is believed that Bob Gainey has offered Brise...
There's a lot of talk about Olli Jokinen coming to Vancouver. I understand the difficulties in making trades with the salary cap etc. However, when a guy of this level is possibly available, Nonis has to do what it takes to get him here. With the way the salaries are going $5.25 mill per year for him is a great bargain. He's 28 and locked up until 2010/11. If this can...
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...
So I was on NHL.com (http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/service=page&page=NHLPage&id=12880)
today and noticed they had a link to all the milestones acheived this year such as 400,500 and 600 goal and 1500 points. So I watched all the goals and points on video and found a couple of interesting connections.
Sundin Scores his 500th against Calgary. Sackin scores his 600th agai...
The question that a lot of sabres fans have like myself is, who will be the next captain? In my mind their are five possibilities for the job. First you have Teppo Numminnen who is a good player but i dont think he is vocal enough, second you have Brian Campbell who is a great player and a vocal player. Third their is Toni Lydman who like Teppo i dont think is vocal enogh ...
ExtraB writes...
SportKings - One of The Greatest Comebacks in Sports History
Posted Sunday | Comments 1
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[b]The greatest name in the history of trading cards is making a comeback after 73 years. Collectors everywhere will applaud the return of the legendary and revered Sportkings brand![/b]
[img]http://www.hockeyheadquarters.com/images/hockey-cards/sportkings/return.jpg[/img]
The original Sport Kings Gum series was released by the Goudey Gum Company in 1933 and 193...
Mike Cammallari gets 6.7 over 2 years? Derek roy gets 8 over 2. 63 vs 80 pts per season. last year players were gettin truck loads of cash for there hard work and all of a sudden this year players get paid no where near what they were gettin paid last year. Danny Briere and Scott Gomez recieved 5 million and Briere did not even reach the 70 pt mark. Sure he had a pt a game...
I'm one to welcome Naslund and Morrison back with open arms when their contracts are up. All i've been hearing in Canuckland these days is how Naslund isn't producing, how Morrison is invisible, and how Canucks fans cannot wait to get rid of their contracts. Well, i'm one to say: Don't get too ahead of yourself.
Canucks fans seem to easily forget that Markus Naslund was...
The rejection of Daryl katz's offer to buy the Edmonton Oilers from the Edmonton Investors Group is being met with some absurd claims - namely, that spending to the cap is the way to win Lord Stanley. The facts from the new-CBA era do not support this myth:
2007
EC Champs – OTT - $43.630M
EC Finalists – BUF - $39.991M
WC Champs – ANA - $40.461M*
WC Finalist...
As a fan, and with all fans, we tend to look at our respective teams with rose coloured glasses (yes "colour" is spelled that way up here) so I have tried to limit my expectations of the Calgary Flames and objectivley look at the mid summer squad as it is.
The major aquistions of the off season are:
Iron Mike behind the bench- my thoughts on this guy before he landed ...
I'm going to be doing a similar thing that rags2riches did but for the Canucks. In part 1 I will outline the projected lines (as of now - will update if any major trades or free agent signings happen between now and the beginning of the season). I will then profile each player on each line. I may also do this for every team because I know the NHL pretty well.
Line 1
...
Here is part 2 of my analysis, the top line of the Vancouver Canucks!
LW #22 Daniel Sedin
Personal: 26 yrs old from Ornskoldsvik, Sweden 6-1 200 lbs Shoots L
Drafted 1999 1st Rd 2nd Overall by the Vancouver Canucks
Entering 7th NHL Season with the Canucks (6th overall)
Contract - 2 yrs remaining on 3 yr contract ($3.57 million)
Strengths: Daniel Sedin is a skille...
Well, there's only one wounded ego here. Mine. Yes, I have dragged myself back to my blog after a long absence. Coincidentally, my departure from my egomaniacal ranting coincides with the night my beloved Flames went out in the 6th game. God I was pissed off.
So what happened? Playfair happened, first of all. I know many of you are eager to shower me with praise f...
The best part about talking to oiler fans now is by far and away the polite smile and nod you get to give them when they talk about their "new oilers".
I love how trading away the captain of a team that was floundering due to lack of heart for a young d who was extremely disappointing is hailed as a good move. I mean, why would they want Jason Smith's "heart and soul" af...
Yes, this is a one-year, [b]two-way [/b]contract. Many around these parts have harshly critiqued this move by Scott Howson. Why?
NHL Central Scouting provides the scouting reports to TSN, and many cringe when they scroll immediately to "career potential." Beech has an NHL-capable frame, and is listed with above-average playmaking skills and vision. Just because a player...
Every year three of my good friends and I take a road trip north to Edmonton for the sole purpose of ruining oiler fan's evenings, and hopefully gloating about a win. So far we have had pretty good luck in terms of our win loss ratio but it does beg an interesting question. Which is a better venue?
The Saddledome although old was renovated back before the olympics in orde...
Before I start, let me just say that last night I was so starved for hockey, I [img:right]http://nhldraftnet.aol.com/NHLDraftNet/file.php?ID=237[/img]watched The Mighty Ducks Two. For all of you movie buffs out there, its definitely not better the second time around. Emilio Estevez's struggle with fame and sponsorships was not a gripping tale. You're coaching pee wee hocke...
A month from the start of training camp all of the articles on who fits with who on what line are starting to come up. As opposed to previous years Calgary is in a dilema with center...they have too many! Langkow seems to be the obvious fit with Iginla and Tanguay, that line at times last year gave flames fans something they hadn't seen in years, tick-tac-toe passing plays...
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...
Growing up with a passion and a love for two teams is harder than just one! My father grew up in Montreal in the era when the Canadiens were known as the flying frenchmen and were basically unbeatable. I was born in 1978, and hockey came into my life I would say right around 1982 when I was old enough to talk and enjoy what was being shown to me. This was the time that...
I'm one to say no. Some Canucks fans seem to think that we need to give this team another face lift. Would a top 6 forward be nice? Yes, it would, if you want to get Naslund going again. Can we make the playoffs without a top 6? Absolutely.
We showed last year that even with our scoring dilemma, we won our division. Why is that? Solid, solid defense, and an all star goa...
August means NFL pre-season and the final stretch in the pennant races. It means golf's final major, sending kids back to school and getting those last few days in at the pool to drown away the scorching heat.
What it doesn't mean, however, is hockey.
That means it's up to people like me to lend my insight (or my two cents as some put it) into the upcoming season. E...
PART 5 IS OUT, OFFENSE #5. VIEW IT ON HTTP://MY.HOCKEYBUZZ.COM/TAG.PHP?TAG=RAGS2RICHES
AND COMING TO THE HOMEPAGE SOON!
Im sorry that it took so long to get this installment out. Ive been very busy for the past few days and havent had a chance to write. Moving on, we are up to part 4 of the series and as always, dont hesitate to comment on my writing. Ive just learned ho...
After watching Scott Niedermayer Choose the Ducks as the location he wanted to play, although he received phopne calls from several N.H.L. superstars trying to lure him in, the obvious reason was his brother. Growing up, taking turns shooting on net with each other acting as goalie, with each shot being the game 7 O.T. winner for the Stanley Cup, you had to think that the ...
So, the latest rumour of Ohlund/Schneider to Tampa for St.Louis is very tantalizing. My opinion is that Schneider is the “Prince Harry” of the Royal family. He may have royal blood, but he will never be the King, that role is Luongo’s. Although, at least Prince Harry goes to Cowboys!
Trade Schneider while his stock is high! Ohlund is sadly on the downside of...
There are several reasons I believe why the Canucks won't have a blockbuster this year.
1. Cap Space.....yes the Canucks cap space is tight. According to nhlnumbers.com, the Canucks DO HAVE and ONLY 5.367 mil to play around with. Don't forget, in the site, they only has 20 players signed. You need about 22 to 23. So with 2-3 more players, we can assume they are small co...
Let's take some time to take a look at the best prospects of the organization. A few of them have a good chance of making the team right out of training camp.
The obvious one is [b]Nicklas Backstrom[/b] who is a very talented young Swede who was drafted 4th overall by the Caps in 2006. The 6'0'' 183 lb centerman should play on the second line with Alexander Semin and Vi...
By popular demand, I have decided to abandon the "Analyzing The Rangers" series and I will be moving on to bigger and better things. I am currently sitting on a coach bus with 50 of my friends on a trip to Niagara Falls from upstate New York. We left an hour ago and after the DVD player on the bus broke (we had Pirates II and Harry Potter IV) most of the guys went to sleep...
The concept of bringing Michael Peca to the New York Rangers occurred to me for a minute last month, but I figured there would be no way something like that could [img:right]http://mapleleafs.nhl.info.pl/news/data/upimages/Michael_Peca_10.jpg[/img] get done. Not with the Rangers currently over the salary cap and not with the teams' commitment to the youth movement over the...
I woke up this morning, and for being August 15th, the air in Buffalo was crisp and cool; Albeit I woke up at 7:30am. I updated my blog, [url]http://www.pelicanfoul.net[/url], and I check the news everyday for my Sabre fix, as that's what Buffalonians do now a days. The Bills... who are the Bills?
This summer we have seen anger, disgust, sadness, retribution, joy, and e...
Ron Guillet writes...
Ron Guillet's Forecaster Special : The Buffalo Sabres
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Alright, folks. I've predicted players stats for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. Now I'm going to the Buffalo Sabres, a team I have lots of respect for and holds a distant #2 to my Leafs. The following is a prediction blog of the players on the Buffalo Sabres and how much goals and points I think they will accumulate.
*NOTE*: I'm just assuming everyone p...
First off I have to say how much I enjoy hearing all of the updates that happen on this site. Even the Mike Peca ones. That's why I check in once or twice daily. However, with all due respect to everyone who's following the ongoing Peca saga, I'd like to shed a little light on the situation.
Mike Peca will not contribute greatly to a team this year. He hasn't done a...
With the 07-08 season on the rise, I wanted to post my predictions on the top 30 players in the league for scoring. I bet you can bet who is first on the list, I'd be totally and utterly insane not to put him there.
NOTE: I'm just going to assume everyone plays 82 games. But it ain't happening and I already know that, amigo's.
[u][b]Top 30 Scoring Leaders:[/b][/u]
1...
I was in the store the other day browsing around through video games. I saw on the shelf a bunch of "preorder now" signs for all of the upcoming EA Sports games. Then I saw it, NHL 2008. No different than any other NHL game since 2000, but still...updated rosters! Hurray!
Oh yes, and need I forget. Eric Staal on the cover??! Come on now.
Here's the deal: I'm a ...
I want to make a comment about all the Mark Bell talk this week. Every media person I've read this week has had nothing nice to say about the troubled winger, and even less to say about John Ferguson Jr. We all know I'm a leaf fan, so I may have bias towards them, but in no way do I agree with any of what is being said about Bell. The Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons wrote a...
I personally think that the canucks have one of the if not strongest defence in the league. With Ohlund-Salo , Mitchell-Bieksa , Krajicek-Miller/Bourdon it's hard not to argue that it is very strong. Their defence in the future looks really good with 1st round pick Luc Bourdon may be cracking the starting lineup and Alex Edler a reliable callup from Manitoba. The Canucks h...
This evening, I find myself in Medford NJ. T-minus 10 hours until Van Halen tickets go on sale for Philadelphia. I will be going with fellow HockeyBuzzard Number23 and my brother. Look for us, we'll be the two fat guys standing next to the drunk guy in really good shape.
-Rick Tocchet got two years probation, which is pretty much what first offenders in the state of New...
Early in the post season Jim Rutherford was very active in trying to acquire one Joni Pitkanen. Obviously he would have like to employ his puck moving abilities and youth to a fairly stay-at-home veteran D-Corps.
As everyone knows, Rutherford did not land Pitkanen, the Oilers did. The man who was on the trading block, Niclas Wallin, remains a 'Cane. It wasn't that th...
[img:left]http://mapleleafs.nhl.info.pl/news/data/upimages/Michael_Peca_10.jpg[/img]I don't really have a lot of time to write this blog, I just got back from my grandparents after a long weekend of putting a new roof on the barn here in beautiful Nova Scotia. It was miserable all weekend, it absolutely poored all weekend. I finally got a chance to go for a walk on the bea...
[img:left]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20060210/leafs_78377.jpg[/img]I thought it was important for somebody here to give Ed Belfour kudos on his wonderful career. Reports are saying that Belfour is likely to sign a contract with Leksand of the Swedish Elite League ending Belfours 18 year National Hockey League career, for the time being at least.
Belfour a nati...
saneopinion writes...
Flame assests to trade and my take on eklund's trade rumors
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Prior to training camp it seems that the Flames are set in terms of what they have and need to the point where there is an abundance of players and depth that could be acquired from them with out any real damage to the line up.
It's obvious the flames are stocking up at center, as I previously wrote how do you find spaces for Langkow, Conroy, Lombardi, Yelle with Taratuki...
It's hard not to agree that the canucks are stacked on defence. This season coming should be a good one for goals against with these pairings: Bieksa-Mitchell Ohlund-Salo Krajicek-Miller/Bourdon. the canucks defence last season combined for the most goals by a blueline in the league. Bieksa and Mitchell were spectactular last season establishing a name for themselves as a ...
When you think of the word Captain for the sabres, you think without a doubt the likes of Chris Drury and Danny Briere from last year. When you think for this coming season who will be the captain you are left wondering who would be the best to fit the role. Would there be another co-captain duo this year as there was last year? My guess would be as good as yours. However,...
Quick update before I hit the sack:
It has been reported that today, Peca will decide which team he will be playing on for the 2007-08 season.
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/blog
The three teams involved now and their odds of them acquiring him IMO are:
Rangers: 46%
Leafs: 32%
Jackets: 17%
Other: 5%
It should be an intersting day, Im go...
After I wrote and posted this blog only to realize that I hadnt signed in and would have to re-write it, I realized that I need some sleep. So Im going to quickly get this out before I hit the sack.
Peca will reported decide today regarding which team he will be playing on for the 2007-08 season.
http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/hockey/rangers/blog
This comes as...
naslund91 writes...
Linden Signing not about numbers, but about playing time?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Is it possible that Trevor Linden is delaying this contract status to show to Vigneault that benching Linden for so many games last year was a mistake?
If Canucks fans can remember, Linden was benched lots throughout the season, even after a 2 goal game, even after one of his best games of the season. When he was put with the Sedins, he had many chances, hit the post a ...
I have been sitting at the computer all day waiting for some news on Peca. According to his agent, Peca will reported decide today regarding which team he will be playing on for the 2007-08 season. If the Rangers, who many consider to be the front runner in the Peca sweeps, do not get back to Peca today he will walk away from the Rangers and sign elsewhere.
http://webl...
The Bill Watters Show has reported that Peca will not sign with the Leafs. Peca's agent Don Meehan has stated that it is not about the money and the Leafs did not feel that Peca would be right for the team. It is now down to the Rangers and Blue Jackets. If a deal is not struck today with the Rangers, Peca will not sign with them. Columbus is the only other option as of no...
John Dellapina reports that Don Meehan, agent for Michael Peca, never recieved an offer from the Rangers.
http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/rangers/
Peca is now down to the Columbus Blue Jackets and possibly another team which is not known. I say this because Blueshirt Bulletin reported that Meehan stated that he had two offers that he would look at and decide on by week...
Depth isn't all that Michael Peca will provide the Blue Jackets, and what a good thing it is.
It was reported tonight by the Columbus Dispatch and the NY Daily News that Peca's agent, Don Meehan, and Columbus GM Scott Howson are finalizing a one-year contract. Terms are not immediately available.
The official annoucement is expected Wednesday morning.
Peca's remar...
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Today Sidney Crosby was in town at a press conference in a Sport Chek store in Mississauga. I got my first glimpse of Crosby in person.
This morning Reebok and NHL Most Valuable Player, Sidney Crosby, teamed up to reveal the latest Fall 2007 apparel, footwear and hockey equipment under the Rbk SC87 brand name. All items within this collection feature the SC87 shiel...
With a simple flick of the wrist, everything on the west coast was settled. For now, Trevor Linden returning to the Vancouver Canucks line-up for yet another season simply eases the pain in waiting for the next debacle as the faithful wait for the arrival of yet another jersey. When training camp begins, Trevor Linden will bring a sense of stability to a line-up that for t...
In the final edition of the Peca blog series, TSN has confirmed the Michael Peca has reached an agreement on a 1 year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets that will be officially anounced later today. This ends a 3 week saga where he was involved with the Rangers, Sabres and Leafs. His signing is welcomed in Columbus, a team that just lost a forward, Svitov, to Russia. The ...
Nashcity writes...
Has the game changed or do we just lack superstars?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It is no secret that overall scoring has dropped in the NHL over the past 20 years, and while there are many factors as to why this is the case, the majority of hockey experts will say that the biggest reason this has happened is that the game has changed. What was once a wide open game dominated by skill and speed has now often become a chess match between coaches and the...
Ron Guillet writes...
The Fire Burns : Projection Of The Calgary Flames
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Howdy my hockeybuzz fella's! I'm here to bring you another projection of another team, by the name of the Calgary Flames. A team which holds a tiny particle of my heart next to the other particle which is the Buffalo Sabres and the core, the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Flames have done some decent moves this off-season: They've added Adrian Aucoin, Anders Eriksson, Owen Nolan...
Nashcity writes...
When building from the net out isn't the right philosophy
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Building from the net out is something you'll hear from time to time from general managers trying to combine all the elements of their managing philosophy into a nice, easy to understand sentence that most hockey fans can understand. How I understand it is this: When you are looking to improve your team, start with the goaltender and move on out - as if this is an order of...
With news that Michael Peca will be heading to the Columbus Blue Jackets, the blame definitely lies on the shoulders of JFJ.
In Peca, the Leafs have lost a top-notch penalty killer, one-time Selke winner, and a guy who can play a solid defensive game; in other words, he was the kind of player the Leafs desperately needed.
In Matt Stajan and Alex Steen, the Leafs have...
[img:right][b]IF I COULD TURN BACK [/b][/img]TIME?
Boy, if managers only knew! Every manager has made a bad transaction or trade. For this blog, I polled some of my friends to name the most memorable, horrible trades made by our beloved gm’s. I will be using their quotes with permission and of course putting my two cents worth at the end.
Jbug
That’s real...
hockeyisgd writes...
More Peca talk, from a Blue Jackets fan's perspective
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
When I first heard there was an e3 rumor that Michael Peca was comming to Columbus, I kind of got a little excited. Now that he's signed I really have some mixed emotions about him being on the Jackets.
Why I like Michael Peca as a Blue Jacket
It seems to me that every year, that the Jackets are a team that look like they can be a decent team on paper, but it never tr...
With the Leafs training camp about open soon they have 10 defensemen challenging for spots this coming fall. With Kaberle, McCabe and Kubina all being locks with their big contracts that leave’s three spots open for seven defensemen. Hall Gill would have been a lock but with loads of young D they could fly right by him in the depth chart. Ian White would se...
CBJ09 writes...
An Overhead View of the 2007-2008 Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
How many days until training camp opens? Ahhh....too many, of course. It's 95 degrees in Columbus and the only thing representing hockey season is my order form for a new RBK Edge jersey.
I'm usually guilty of doing this too much, but for the sake of excitement surrounding the past 24 hours, I'll take a look at the "on paper" Columbus Blue Jackets.
[b]FORWARD LINES[...
CBJ09 writes...
An Overhead View of the 2007-2008 Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
How many days until training camp opens? Ahhh....too many, of course. It's 95 degrees in Columbus and the only thing representing hockey season is my order form for a new RBK Edge jersey.
I'm usually guilty of doing this too much, but for the sake of excitement surrounding the past 24 hours, I'll take a look at the "on paper" Columbus Blue Jackets.
[b]FORWARD LINES[...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Flyers' Young Guns - Spotlight on Jeff Carter
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The great [b]Sir Winston Churchill[/b] once wrote about Jeff Carter saying, he is "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma." Ok...so he was actually writing about Russia during his radio address in 1939; BUT, he [u]could[/u] have been writing about [b]Jeff Carter[/b]...couldn't he?
This young man, of only 22 years old, was born on January 1, 1985 in London, On...
With this being my first blog entry at Hockeybuzz, I figured I'd start by doing a general outline of the Canucks in the offseason and the team at its current state.
The team, even though they finished top of the Northwest Division (Typically considered the most balanced, if not hardest, division in the league. Though I'd have probably given hardest to Pacific), we...
1.) Nicklas Backstrom- Will be playing with Ovechkin this coming season so I see him setting Ovi up for alot of goals. Should get alot of time on the PP so I see him putting up some serious points.
2.) Carey Price- I'm going on a limb here saying that he will make the Canadians this year and will steal the starting role from Huet. After seeing what this kid is capable o...
[img:left]http://www.scholarships.ed.ac.uk/images/canada_flag.jpg[/img]
[b] Best of wishes to Team Canada, and the coaching staff over in Russia for the Super Series between Canada and Russia, starting on Monday. I'd like to personally say thank-you to all the players/coaching staff that are over in Russia that are going into a war with the Rus...
I do a weekly piece on WCCO-AM [the clear channel to the UPPER Midwest (U.S.) and do a piece called THE ANGRY MINUTE. A couple weeks back i covered the crazy rate at which Americans, last year, are leaving for Canada twice the normal rate (sic) ...
All things considered, i empathized... so I played the ENTIRE version of "Oh! Canada! " anthem, after some COMMENT of cou...
I do a weekly piece on WCCO-AM [the clear channel to the UPPER Midwest (U.S.) and it's called THE ANGRY MINUTE. A couple weeks back i covered the crazy rate at which Americans, last year, are leaving for Canada twice the normal rate (sic) ...
All things considered, sometimes we empathize... so, I played the ENTIRE version of the "Oh! Canada! " anthem, Stanley Cup Play...
ExtraB writes...
Yzerman Was My Role Model But Are Role Models Dead Today?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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In a previous blog post I talked about the holy grail of sports cards, a 1909 Honus Wagner baseball card, which sold for a record breaking $2.35 million. The holy grail of hockey cards is considered to be the 1911-12 Georges Vezina hockey rookie card which sold for a record breaking $100K. You can read the article at:
http://www.hockeyheadquarters.com/articles/vezina...
Ok, a month or two ago, I was reading that Pete was going to play for his father's league back in Sweden...What happened?
TSN.com is reporting that Ottawa and Vancouver are now in a "race" to pick up this injury-prone forward from his one year stint in Nashville after being dealt away by the Philadelphia Flyers. His career is winding down, and I honestly think that if h...
Ron Guillet writes...
Stanley Cup Bound : Projection Of The Vancouver Canucks
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With the Vancouver Canucks making the Western Conference Final last season, under the guidance of newly acquired Roberto Luongo, is it unrealistic to expect a Stanley Cup appearence? Will Vancouver be the fourth canadian team to make the Stanley Cup Finals in the last four appearences? This Leafs fan thinks so.
After missing the playoffs in 05-06 the Canucks found thems...
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...
There's been a ton of talk that the Habs and Sharks have talked about a trade that would send Patrick Marleau to the Habs, but speaking with a few sources, I've been told that the Predators, Oilers and the Sabres are also interested, and have offered better packages for Marleau.
Also, just because the Sharks are listening to offers for Marleau, does that really mean th...
Whats the issue really. I'm not exactly writing a blog on this one. But I want your thoughts on why Toronto wants to dump this guy so bad.
Me personaly cap space, but who knows it could be just because they want more depth upfront. Of course I see no purpose to trading Kubina if all the Leafs plan on doing is signing Tony Salmaleinen. Which personally I'm excited about ...
If there is one thing this off-season has taught me is that teams, even with a salary cap, won't be afraid to throw big money around to get what they need. That being said the next off-season should be interesting for the New York Rangers. Unless he's signed to an extension at some point this year, Henrik Lundqvist will be a free agent next summer and how embarrassing will...
I don't think goaltending has ever been this good in the NHL. Sure, there have been times when it has been better at the top end of the list, but the depth going into the 2007-08 season may be at an all-time high. These guys have the ability to carry their team on their back, and single-handedly steal hockey games on any given night. In the playoffs, they can be the single...
Slasher98 writes...
What UFA should the Caps sign to reach league minimum?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Capitals will have to spend more to get past the $34.3 million salary-cap floor by the start of the season. Interesting veteran forwards such as Anson Carter, Mike Johnson, Ville Nieminen, Jeff O'Neill, Jan Bulis or Jason Allison could all give depth to the Caps' top-12 forward group.
The best option would be [b]Mike Johnson[/b], who's a good 2-way player who can s...
[b]Up next, I looked at the Northwest Division (one of the toughest to pick)
Minnesota Wild[/b]
The Minnesota Wild had a good year last year, perhaps overachieving a little bit. Mainly they were able to take advantage of Edmonton when they were on their spiral down towards the basement of the Northwest Division. The Wild were 6 - 2 against Edmonton and 4 of the wins ...
It appears Calgary Flames highly touted prospect Andrei Taratukhin has signed a 3 year deal to play in Russia following Mark Giordano's lead. Former Flame Jamie Lundmark is also in Russia for next season. If this is true, it's a huge blow to the Flames as Taratukhin's likely next step was to make the roster for the upcoming season.
Taratukhin is still under his entry-l...
Taratukhin has now signed a three year deal in russia and another bright prospect for the flames is heading to Russia. Why would he bother coming to the states and play a year only to opt out and head back again?? This has happened to two flames prospects but rest assured it will be the beggining of more if a transfer deal with Russia isn't signed.
The Flames' new head c...
Well with training camp set to open in less then 2 weeks, its a great time to get into hockey mode and and break down what the Leafs might look like for there opening night matchup against the Senators.
[b][u]Goaltending[/u][/b]
This position looks all settled pertaining any trades with Toskala and Raycroft heading into the opening season 1-2, Clemmensen is the curre...
With training camps around the NHL just a couple weeks away, and a new season on the horizon, fans will have their burning questions about their favorite teams.
Thus is the same thing in Buffalo, where Sabres fans will have their big questions. Questions such as the new captain, or who forms the new first line. Here are the 4 burning questions likely to be on Sabres' fa...
Happy long weekend puckheads!!!
-I have been playing NHL08's demo almost non stop since it became available. The skating engine is unreal, as is the AI for the computer controlled players. It's a free download on XBox Live, for your 360 console. Well worth a DL and play for free.
-Speaking of the NHL games this year, the date for NHL 2K8 was bumped up to September 1...
They're the same. Anyone suprised?
Look good.
Perhaps the achilles heel for any up-and-coming team is a lack of team defense. The Blue Jackets have made a few blunders down the path in the name of free-agent pickups Scott Lachance, Deron Quint, Bryan Berard and Adam Foote. Of the four mentioned, Foote has had the greatest impact on his team- both on the ice and in the locker room.
On the flip side, there have been...
I am a leaf fan, but I am not going to be while I write this article.
One of the most exciting divisions in the NHL, the North Eastern division is one the deadliest in the league. All five teams have been in the playoffs the last 4 or 5 years. The Buffalo Sabres, The Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, and the Boston Bruins. Last year, the Sabres...
Side note I felt that the vertical strip on the socks make the Flyers look like imperial storm troopers. HEre look and compare.
The storm Troopers
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lil_munki/1352823284/?addedcomment=1#comment72157601938696529
Rookie camp photos
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157601938292851/
VIDEO!!!! (warning it takes time for youtube t...
I made some NHL predictions awhile back; however, I made some small changes. I think that Carolina is more likely to make the playoffs than Philadelphia, and that I underestimated Washington and Dallas slightly; thus, I've made some changes to my tentative predictions. These are my FINAL predictions for the year. Book them.
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
1) New York Rangers (51-2...
Alright, this probably should be a dead issue, since the Canucks already wasted their million dollars on designing their new jerseys for this upcoming season. The least they could have done was look at their practice jerseys before showing the other ones off to the world. I was looking through some of the posts on canucks.com about the rookie camp, saw some pictures of t...
Heart.
When you hear the word, perhaps, the first thing you think of is that organ beating inside your chest.
You also might think of that hard rocking, but IMO god-awful, girl band comprised of the sisters - Ann and Nancy Wilson. Sorry, not a big Barracude fan.
When I think of the word "heart," I immediately think of it in relation to organized sports. Not ...
[b]http://flyerflies.com/blogs/The_FlyerFly/?p=13[/b]
Finally, the first real sign that Flyers hockey is returning has arrived.
The Philadelphia Flyers rookie prospects have congregated at the Virtua Health Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees, N.J. for a mini-camp that is scheduled to stretch until Wednesday.
The Flyers rookie squad will take on a group of rookie prosp...
The end of the summer is here for the Buffalo Sabres, and it is time to put away the summer toys and get ready for Lindy Ruff's favorite time of year, training camp.
The Sabres opened up the camp season with Day 1 of their rookie camp Monday afternoon at the Amherst Pepsi Center. 17 of the teams top prospects converged for the workouts.
Lindy Ruff and his staff put t...
Well its been some time now since I have been able to put up a blog and as I sat here thinking about what to write I began going back over all the great hockey memories I have, especially those of my team, the Canucks. A I went from memory to memory, each one bringing back a moment in time, a picture, an image, a feeling, I realized how much a part this team, and this game...
I tend to be pessimistic but hopeful. I can see the Flyers getting off to another bad start but not being non competitive like they were last year. The team made a lot of moves after February, some I like, some I like less, some seem to come with question marks.
[b]The Forwards:[/b]
I wanted them to sign Drury but they ended up with Briere so I was a little disappointe...
I have had the pleasure of watching the Canucks rookie camp all this week. Let me fill you in on what I saw at camp.
As Eklund said, Victoria native Taylor Ellington had a very good camp. In 60 games last year with the Evertt Silvertips of the WHL, he scored 5 goals along with 8 assists. Although he does not look like he'll be a huge point producer at the NHL level, he ...
pensfan17148 writes...
Rookie Camp Ends - Who Stays and Who Goes and a Rumor
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hey pens fans,
The Pens have invited the following players from rookie camp to training camp: Aaron Boogaard, Jonathan Filewich, Joe Jensen, Tyler Kennedy, Mark Letestu, Kyle Rank, Ryan Stone, Tim Wallace, Jonathan D’Aversa, Kris Letang, Ben Lovejoy, David Brown John Curry and Dustin Jeffrey. From their 2007 draft picks the Pens reassigned Luca Caputi, Robert Bortuzzo...
Hey there,
Finally, across the city, we can feel the nervousness and febrility of everybody. All the talk and chat are centered in only one subject : The Canadians.
The passionate optimistist, the everyday pessimist, the young newbies, the seasoned veteran or the expert...everybody and their mama agree on one thing : They can't wait until it really starts!
So, let...
It was announced that newly aquired defenceman Aaron Miller will undergo abdominal surgery today in Vancouver. Aaron Miller spent last season with The Las Angeles Kings where he amassed 8 points and was a -14 on a team without a goalie.
Vancouver Canucks Senior Vice President and General Manager gave a brief summary of the events. “After further consultation with...
Hey pens fans,
Here is a look at the Pens' training camp roster. Defensemen: Mark Ardelan, Paul Bissonnette, Jonathan D'Aversa, Mark Eaton, Deryk Engelland, Alex Goligoski, Sergei Gonchar, Ryan Lannon, Kris Letang, Ben Lovejoy, Brooks Orpik, Alain Nasreddine, Rob Scuderi, Darryl Sydor, Mike Weaver, Ryan Whitney. Forwards: Colby Armstrong, Aaron Boogaard, Tim Brent, Erik C...
Sorry about the title ... I know it is just plain bad.
I was looking at the Calgary Flames new look defense this morning and wondered what type of offensive prowess they had. This led me to look into how many goals and points they had combined for last year.
The names Aucoin, Eriksson, Hale, Phaneuf, Regehr, Sarich and Warrener as a collective group do not strike ...
Day one of training camp was focused on one thing. The thing the Canucks are in need of the most. Offence. Both Jannik Hansen and Jason Jaffary scored beautiful goals on the first day. Begging the question; Who will get the start on opening night?
[b]Jannik Hansen[/b] already has experience at the proffesional level. He played 10 games in the playoffs and finished wit...
The Peca Rumors we're constant. The Sabres, Rangers and Leafs were at the top of the list but is seems as though EVERY team was linked to Peca at some point. Evrey team but Columbus that is.
At first blush it seems like an odd match. At this point, Peca is the classic "final piece to the puzzle" type player and columbus hasn't even gotten all the piece out the jigs...
The Flames' first scrimmage showed lines that I think will possibly what ends up bering the norm. Keenan is known for his willingness to experiment in his line combos should the chemistry fail but these could very well be the standard lines throughout the year:
Tanguay- Langkow- Iginla
Huselius- Lombardi- Nolan
Primeau- Conroy- Moss
Nilson- Yelle- Godard (this spot c...
When Cristobal Huet injured his hamstring last season Jaroslav Halak came in to the picture, and played well, yet they were still not able to get into the playoffs. Huet is now a proven first-stringer, and his absence certainly factored into why they did not make the playoffs. A healthy Huet should win his job back at training camp, unless Carey Price shows him up, but we'...
[b]ROOKIES[/b]
Steven Boyd played like a monster by far the best skater was great today
Tim Ramholt best day in camp played the best defenisively he has was 10 times better today than the rookie camp Tim showed up today
Leeland Irving Played very well today didn't look rusty at all did a better job controlling his rebounds
Matt Keetly Matt was a super star m...
Now that all the new jerseys have been released (some officially and other unofficially), this is a good time to take a critical look at them all from a fashion point of view. Of course, these are just opinions, so please do not flame me too badly. My opinion on your team jersey has nothing to do with how much I like/dislike that team, whether I think so-and-so is a dirt...
It has been a long summer of Canuck and Devils trade rumours—none of which have been realised—but they keep coming up and I'd like to take a stab at why.
I'm guessing that that the Devils are having a hard time with the commandment that says “thou shalt not covet thy neighbours goaltending prospects.”
It's no secret that we need some scoring and the Devils co...
I was looking over what the capitals have been doing this off-season and just placing it in my mind what is actually going on with this team. You would think that the team would have a better standing with the talent that seems to come out of there don't you? Some will argue that there is no talent... well that's just hog-wash.
Alexander Ovechkin is an obvious 100 poin...
I thought I would put a small blog up for camp day 2
Aucoin got his legs back
also his shot wow some really good shots back
Craig Conroy was very good, he is a lot faster than I thought
Lombo was with tangs and Iggy, they looked very good lombo was actually faster this year if that an really happen
Langkow with Nolan and juice and Juice left the camp ...
9/16/07 Flyers camp
The links of course....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157602046504581/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVuxUNcM1gc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHcp_xthv6M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgMw6QsG07w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf22qswElo8
First I want to thank Hockey buzz’s own Steal your face off, the young man w...
With the sun taking a hiatus for the weekend and the leaves falling to the ground, hockey was on the forefront here in Victoria, BC today. Over 7000 fans lined up early and braved the rain to catch a glimpse of their heroes. The day started off with the alumni game with the likes of Greg Adams, Cliff Ronning, Geoff Courtnall, Thomas Gradin and Orland Kurtenbach taking part...
Hey pens fans,
The Penguins have sent 10 players to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton They are Aaron Boogaard, Joe Jensen, Mark Letestu, Kurtis McLean, Kyle Rank, Mark Ardelan, Paul Bissonnette, Jonathan D’Aversa, Deryk Engelland, and David Brown. WB/S camp starts Thursday.
The Penguins have 41 players remaining in their camp: 13 defensemen, 24 forwards, and four goaltenders.
...
ExtraB writes...
From Gretzky to Lemieux... he scores! O Canada Hockey Cards!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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"O Canada, We Stand On Guard For Thee"
The first lines of the Canadian National Anthem perfectly describe the dedication of Canada's national hockey teams and for the first time a hockey card set is being created to celebrate. Perhaps, no other country in any other sport has achieved the consistent excellence that Canada has attained in international hockey. These wi...
ExtraB writes...
From Gretzky to Lemieux... he scores! O Canada Hockey Cards!
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
-
"O Canada, We Stand On Guard For Thee"
The first lines of the Canadian National Anthem perfectly describe the dedication of Canada's national hockey teams and for the first time a hockey card set is being created to celebrate. Perhaps, no other country in any other sport has achieved the consistent excellence that Canada has attained in international hockey. These wi...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Real Flyers Scrimmages...Like Christmas morning
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img:left]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:rbDOhlS0_FrI2M:http://www.amazing-christmas-ideas.com/images/birds-beads-full-tree-big.jpg[/img]
[img:right]http://nhl.imageg.net/graphics/product_images/p3288909th.gif[/img]
With all the proper religious respect due my brothers and sisters of other faiths, seeing a scrimmage with real NHL players was like walking down the st...
Yesterday Sami Salo injured his wrist on an innocent looking play. Today it was confirmed by an MRI that he has a hairline fracture in his left wrist and is out indefinitly. Salo was injured during the intra-squad game along with Roberto Luongo and Trevor Linden. Luongo and Linden's injuries were minor in nature.
Who now will step up and fill the void left by Salo? Edle...
It is time for the second edition in my series of blogs about the new NHL jerseys. For those who still have not seen the new jerseys:
http://www.fartfignewton.com/rbk_edge/
And for those who missed Part 1 of this series:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=2407&post_id=2473
This time I am turning my critical eye towards the Northwest division.
[b]C...
Mon. Sept 17, 2007 ~
Vancouver Canucks (0-0) vs. Anaheim Ducks (1 – 2)
7:00 pm General Motors Place Vancouver, B.C.
'The Show Must Go On!'
Despite a squeamish end to training camp and with the new season drawing closer, the Vancouver Canucks need to put the past behind them and look forward to brighter days. Canucks fans, rest assured Roberto Luongo wa...
Period 1
The first and only goal of the first period came from the most unlikely source; The thick hearty mustache of George Parros. A tip pass came right to his stick from Brad May and he buried it behind Curtis Sanford.
Ryan Shannon was making his presence felt against his old team. He had a few quality shots and some timely passes to linemate Mason Raymond. He pla...
The end of our local camp in coming to an end. I just wanted to forward some info onto the Kings fans. This is something written br Rich Hammond. It is Very informative. I feel for the Kings and Ducks with their "Road trip from Hell". The Ducks got it worse....Stay Healthy all...
"It's hard to believe that there's only one day of camp left in Los Angeles. After Tuesday...
Last night during the Canucks preseason opener, Ryan Shannon stepped up and made everyone take notice of him. My sentiments were echoed by the Canucks website this morning(I'm glad I beat them to it) 5 on 5 he was lined up with Byron Ritchie and Mason Raymond(Also vying for a roster spot) and could have set up two goals for Raymond, had Ilya Bryzgalov not been on his game....
Do you hear what I hear? Of course you do. The scratching skates against the ice, the thumping of bodies, the sharp thwack of the slapshot, the rippling of the mesh, the gasps and screams and howls of the fans, the booming voices of coaches screaming out instructions, and the goal horns, oh how could I forget you? Not since the Super Series have I heard you, and have I eve...
Wed Sept 19, 2007
Vancouver Canucks (0-1) vs. Calgary Flames (0-1-1)
7:00 pm - General Motors Place - Vancouver, BC.
Feeling The Burn
The Vancouver Canucks take to the ice this evening, facing off against Mike Keenan and the Calgary Flames. Not only are the Canucks facing the Flames but there are several Canuck regulars that are feeling the burn.
Brenda...
The preseason didn't hinder the heated rivalry between The
Vancouver Canucks and The Calgary Flames. The tempo was
turned up a notch at General Motors place. If you stepped
onto the ice you knew you were going to be hit.
The Canucks opened the game with a flurry of speed and hits.
They managed to keep pace with Calgary's tenacity and even
excede them. The...
[u][b]Typical Outing[/b][/u]
Tonight's match-up had all the ingredients for a mid-season affair between the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames. Take out the fact that Jarome Iginla was in the Flames line-up and several Canuck veterans were enjoying the game from above, tonights game had the typical Vancouver-Calgary atomosphere.
Eric Godard layed out Matt Cooke as...
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...
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
Moncton's motto reads: [b]Resurgo[/b], which I can assure you that it is not a Harry Potter spell. It is latin for [i]I rise again[/i]. And in 'Hub City', who hasn’t had a NHL game in over 30 years, NHL hockey is rising again - as it did when [b]Ted Nolan[/b], current coach of the Islanders, took the Mo...
And no, this is not a very late blog in reference to Briere and Drury.
Lindy Ruff told the media yesterday that the 2.5 year pairing of defenseman Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman is no more. The Sabres top shutdown pairing the past two seasons will be split up, at least for the time being.
In order to spread out the wealth in regards to the recent heart surgery of T...
saneopinion writes...
Prospects might not think they are playing for a spot.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
For the teams who's record is a winning one during the pre-season this time of year signals what is to come for the rest of the year and for those who have a losing record the pre-season is just try outs and doesn't mean anything. The truth is a bit of both.
It's hard to look at a flames squad that hasn't put in two solid vetrem lines in the pre season and say, "hey, this...
Wondering why we don't give the one-eyed-bandit a chance to boost our PP? I'm down with McGillis, or maybe Berard doesn't want to come up here or is asking too much... anyways... just a thought...
The Canucks own battle of Alberta continues tonight when the Edmonton Oilers come to town. Anson Carter will not play tonight, because of a concussion. Honestly would MacT have even let Carter suit up for this game. Maybe the bad blood between Carter and the Canucks only comes from the fans, but if there was any from the players, Carter would have a rough time tonight.
...
I started riding a mountain bike three years ago dropped about sixty pounds and like some of us I tend to get big head when I start having success. Just when I start thinking I’m all that is about when my riding buddies take me out and either seriously school me on a really big hill or they bust a rib laughing at me chipping a tooth on a rock garden I usually ride clean....
Deja-vu?
Thursday September 20, 2007
Vancouver Canucks vs. Edmonton Oilers
7:00 pm (PST) – General Motors Place – Vancouver, B.C.
[i][b]***This just in...Ryan Shannon will play his third consecutive pre-season game for the Canucks as Jannik Hansen broke his thumb in last night's 4-0 victory over the Calgary Flames***[/b][/i]
Tonight the Vancouver Canucks...
I grew up watching players like Robinson, Gainey, Lemaire, Lafleur, Shutt, Dryden...The list goes on and on! Generations of great hockey players have come and gone for this great franchise. I have put them on a pedestal above all else for the most part of my 37 years. When i was a kid, I would fall asleep following a Habs game that I listened to on an old radio tucked u...
The rivalry between the Canucks and Oilers isn't a fierce one, but tonights game felt like a regular season one, except for some scrambly play. A big knock against the Canucks play tonight was stupid penalties. They took 6 in the first period alone.
Henrik to Daniel. Thats a sentance Canucks fans are going to hear a lot of this coming campaign. We heard it a lot tonigh...
Ales Hemskey evened the contest with 3:22 remaining in the third period and Brad Isbister stole the show with a buzzer beating goal with less than 3 seconds on the clock. And the Vancouver Canucks won thier second pre-season game in consecutive nights.
With all that aside, from what I saw (and heard) of the game there was really nothing to get too excited about. The re...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Last Night's Game in Montreal, Plus Defensive Assessment
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Last night Montreal beat the Isles in OT.
[b]Jeff Tambellini[/b] had a good game, obviously been jumpstarted by some comments by Ted Nolan. Nolan recently picked him out saying basically he is expecting more from him consistently. Tambs had a goal and had been all over the ice. [b]Jon Sim[/b] has been plugging away like he has the last few games.
[b]Sean Bergenheim[...
Today's blog may take some of the Canuck faithful by surprise and I may also add to the list of people who may consider me an enemy. In the end, something has to be said, enough with the pats on the back and the 'attaboys'. When you have to get something off your chest...you do it.
Now, mocking the history of the Vancouver Canucks is a rather simple thing to do. The ter...
How many times have we heard from the uninformed talk about how Vancouver is a one-man show? Suggestions abound that the only difference between missing the playoffs and winning the conference and bowing out in the second round to the eventual cup champions was the addition of Roberto Luongo. That kind of talk only makes me laugh at the Flames Fan from whose mouth those ki...
As of now, this is still unannounced by the Sharks org, but the following players seem to have been released from the NHL Training Camp:
D-51-Walsh
D-65-Joslin
D-70-Evans
G-33-Dakers
F-28-Packard
F-38-Valette
F-40-Armstrong
F-60-Raduns
This would leave 18 forwards, 9 defenders, and 3 goaltenders in camp.
Lines for today were (in no particular order):
Mar...
The Vancouver Canucks took it on the chin yesterday. And the feeling that I got reading the Canucks.com message boards, the fans are none too impressed with the gentleman wearing black number 4.
Todd Bertuzzi joined the Vancouver Canucks all most ten years ago to the day. He was a young, underachieving forward in the the New York Islanders system. Being aquired in a tra...
The Vancouver Canucks took it on the chin yesterday. And the feeling that I got reading the Canucks.com message boards, the fans are none too impressed with the gentleman wearing black number 4.
Todd Bertuzzi joined the Vancouver Canucks all most ten years ago to the day. He was a young, underachieving forward in the the New York Islanders system. Being aquired in a tra...
With just over a week to go before the season opener against the Islanders and three preseason games in the books, the questions surrounding Sabres training camp are slowly becoming answered.
Just before camp, I penned a blog discussing the four biggest questions facing the team coming into camp. At this point, it is probably a good time to see if they have been answere...
For the past few weeks, potential Rangers players have been fighting for a spot on the roster. As training camp ended and the preseason began, more cuts were made and the team found that they had quite a few position battles on their hands. So after three preseason games and 10 fighting majors, the situation seems to have cleared up a bit.
[b]Goalie Fight (no, not that...
With the Canucks having several injuries to the core of their team it is becoming increasingly difficult to ice a competitive roster especially while the teams around them are trimming down to something that finally resembles an NHL line-up.
In the case of the Canucks it may be several weeks before they start to see what their line-up is really capable of. Brendan Morri...
Just in case people forgot who Steve Downie is. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Fidlin/2005/10/31/1286377-sun.html
Interesting to see that the guy doesn't even make it to the regular season before he fully establishes himself as a gutless player at the NHL level. Very dissapointing to see rookies potentially destroying the career of the veteran players in the hop...
Took in the FLyers-Sens game last night. *YAWN* pre-season hockey is less than desirable. Even the kids trying to earn roster spots did themselves no favours last night.
Nycholat fit in on the Sens blueline without any problem, he is clearly ready for a roster spot. I would say it comes at the expense of Schubert. I cannot imagine any sens fans complaining about tha...
I'm sorry if this seems a bit unprofessional but this is my first attempt at a "blog" ever.
I just wanted to comment on the hit by Downie on Dean McAmmond. Yes, it was definately an unappropriate hit. He did leave his feet using his body as momemtum driven projectile and he claims thats part of his game, finishing checks. But there's a right and a wrong way to thro...
JerZey_Devil2144 writes...
When to suspend.....and some personal observations.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I want to take a slightly different look at the recent furor at headshots in the NHL. Do I think they should be minimized? ABSOLUTELY! Do I think they can be completely eradicated? No, I dont, they happen, this is a fast game played by fast men but just because something is a head shot doesnt mean it should automatically be grounds fro a suspension. Hell anytime a big d-ma...
This past weekend my co-horts and I got together and drew out our Canucks tickets. I managed to snatch this evenings pre-season contest against the Sharks. Although, I was not impressed with the fact that it is pre-season, I am rather intrigued to see some of the notable prospects that the Canucks have to offer this season. Namely, Mayson Raymond.
I am quite pleased th...
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...
Since the issue seems to have overtaken all else in the hockey world in terms of importance and exposure, I figure the Downie hit is as good of a play as any to spark my first commentary on hockeybuzz.
First off, due to some frustrating technical problems with the NHL Center Ice Online package, I was unable to see the hit live, but I did listen to the audio feed from th...
CaptShark writes...
Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Also Sharks Radio Update
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The San Jose Sharks have found themselves in a tough place. A good tough place though. The Sharks roster still has some trimming to be done, however, who will stay and who will go? Obviously you can't begin the season with 28 centers just because they all looked good in the preseason. A complete team needs defense as well. You have your locked in guys such as K Mac, Carle,...
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...
During practice today, the Sharks were without the services of Tomas Plihal, Torrey Mitchell, Brad Norton, and Craig Rivet (though he did come out for the speed skating drills in the second half of practice).
Per the Sharks, Mitchell had to have some fluid drained from the foot he blocked a shot with, and might return to the ice on Friday. If he can skate Friday and st...
For all those fans out there who have watched Flyers fans fire back over and over with ludicrous accusations, I apologize. As a Flyers fan, it pains me to see what is currently going on not only with Steve Downie himself, but with other Flyers fans. On one front, I am proud to be a fan of the organization because I can see how the fans here rally together and will defend t...
I figured since everyone else was talking about Steve Downie knocking Dean McAmmond into next week that it was time to throw my take on the incident out there. Why? Because I think a lot of people are letting their passion get in the way of reason, like they often do when incidents like this happen in sports.
There’s no question that when you see something like thi...
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://...
Once again it seems like the Blue Jackets are incapable of scoring enough goals to pull out wins in the close games. 2 nights in a row we have lost to Hurricanes, 1 goal in the 2 matches. Last night was understandable as they lost 3-0 with Mason in net. Tonight however, LeClaire (Who in my opinion will be the starter this season no doubt) was lights out all night until the...
In the past week we have had a front row seat to see how the current review committee, and Colin Cambell, determine player suspensions. We all saw the hit, the coaches responses, player responses, media input, public outcry, etc, etc etc. Its a long, and flawed, system that in the end determines a punishment which is usually met with and equal amount of approval and displ...
Mark Smith is a Flame.
A signing by Darryl Sutter. Keenan had no decision on the matter. Mark smith a versatile role player who can fill on the top lines. His departure from the Sharks was due to the fact that he would not get much playing time in a team as deep in forwards as San Jose. Mark Smith tried out also with the Ranger who offered him a two way contract.
...
I, like many, would like to see hockey return to ESPN. It provides the widest exposure of sports programming in the US.
With that said, ESPN also provides the widest exposure of what I consider to be the biggest problem with sports programming today: the epidemic of sportscasting "personalities" overshadowing the events they present.
The seeds of this issue can be tr...
As promised I am following up my dark horse blog with my predictions blog. Very unique I know. No playoff predictions though, way too early for those. With that said, let’s start in the West.
[b]
[u]Western Conference[/u][/b]
[u]Pacific Division[/u]
1. [b]San Jose Sharks[/b]: Probably the deepest team in the league. Tons of offensive skill led by Joe Thornton, Pat...
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In a previous post I announced the upcoming O Canada Hockey Card set to be released on October 18, 2007 by ITG Trading Cards. More information has been released about the spectacular autograph cards in the set.
In The Game Trading Cards released the following information in their September 25th newsletter...
The autograph cards feature Gold Metal winners from the ...
The Islanders touched down at the Harbor Yard arena in Bridgeport Connecticut to face the New Jersey Devils for the second time this preseason. This was the second game of 3 games in 3 nights for the Islanders. Islanders dressed only a handful of their star lineup as the rest of the Islanders made their way to Boston to face the Bruins tomorrow for their final game of the ...
Back again to complete my NHL prediction blog extravaganza with my Eastern Conference predictions. Enjoy!
[b]
[u]Eastern Conference[/u][/b]
[u]Southeast Division[/u]
1. [b]Washington Capitals[/b]: This may be my “what is he smoking?” pick of the 2007-08 season but the Caps have the parts to do some real damage. The arrivals of Nicklas Backstrom and Michael Nyland...
After winning the Jack Adams trophy you'd think that Alain Vigneault had everything figured out. Well, you guess wrong. The Vancouver Canuck head coach is currently sitting in his chair with about a million and a half different line combinations running through his head.
The club announced eight releases today. Seven players are making their way to Manitoba (Bourdon, B...
Finally, our many preseason questions have been answered as the Rangers set their 23 man roster by dropping Nigel Dawes and Al Montoya. The final roster, which appears at the bottom of the page, is what most expected and is expected to lead New York to its first Stanley Cup since 1994. The puck drops at 7:00 PM as the rangers host the Florida Panthers at MSG. Here are a fe...
I would like to on a weekly basis share some of my thoughts about that weekend that was, the week to come, and any other quirkly news hitting the airwaves.
I would like to offer first a prediction of the teams that I think will make it to the second season
East
1) Ny rangers good additions, not great. should have spent money on D. Should have gone after hannan, or wa...
I have no facts. I have no stats. I have no research, quotes, contacts.
All I have is my opinion, but, as most of you know (begrudgingly), that is worth a fair bit.
Did you come here for an in-depth analysis of teams, perhaps hoping for some outside speculation about your home team? If so, leave now. It will spare you disappointment beyond the shame you must feel ...
1) Minnesota - 105 pts (3rd seed)
2) Calgary - 102 pts (5th seed)
3) Vancouver - 97 pts (7th seed)
4) Colorado - 96 pts (8th seed)
5) Edmonton - 77 pts
It all comes down to Nicklas Backstrom and Marion Gaborik in the hockey mad state of Minnesota. Nicklas Backstrom should have a great season for the Wild. He's never been a starter in the NHL, but he's succeeded in e...
Here I am
On the road again
There I am
Up on the stage
Here I go
Playin’ star again
There I go
Turn the page
That chorus could not ring more true.
Last year was the worst season in Flyer history, then this pre-season we had the Steve Downie drama, it is time to turn the page.
I’m not going to tell you the Flyers are going to win the Cup, I’m n...
Last nights game from what I saw and heard of it, was a little bit of a lackluster performance by the Sharks. I was a bad Sharks fan and blogger last night because I did not see the game. Wifes B-day was much more important last night. Trust me, if you are married than you understand. Besides there is a whole lot of hockey left to enjoy. Torrey Mitchell from what I have he...
The Vancouver Canucks open their 2007-08 campaign tonight facing off against the consenus Stanley Cup favourite San Jose Sharks. Tonight's line-up features in blood as the Canucks search for an offensive threat in their line-up.
Mayson Raymond will make his NHL debut after having an eye-opening training camp the Canucks staff decided to bite the bullet and give the you...
Hey pens fans,
On a positive not, I would like to wish a Happy Birthday to MArio Lemieux.
Now, onto the game...
Tonight, the Pens lost their season opener 4-1. The Pens' lone goal came in the third period. It was scored by Mark Recchi and assisted by Gonchar and Malkin. Fleury was in goal to start the game, but after letting in 4 goals on 26 shots in the first ...
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
...
According to Yahoo Sports box scores Steve Downie had an assist on Brieres game winning goal Thursday, I told you the kid is good.
Blue Jackets 4 Ducks 0, huh?
Flyers vs Oilers tonight, weird how after players are traded they seem to play against each other very quickly it happens all the time,I’m thinking 5-2 Flyers.
Marion Jones on roids? Thats a shocker. She ...
Did anyone see the Canucks and Calgary? Decent game - teams swapping dominance and then fighting it out. My player of the game is Aaron Miller apart from the whole almost-breaking-Luongo thing. He's the Willie Mitchell of '07-08 (but for cheap!).
Hughson said "This game [b]deserves[/b] another five minutes!" and luckily it worked out in Vancouver's favour. Teams in ...
yes you can salvage something from the first two flames' games of the season. two good comebacks, 4 goals for langkow, brief periods of astonishment from kipper, but all in all.. we sucked.
at least the energy was there the second time around. moderately. as an aside, i actually would have found the games more exciting watching them on CBC than being 20 feet from the...
Just listening to the Avs vs. Sharks game - and Mr. Paul Stastny has 1g 4a in this game, while having a hat trick on opening night, which brings him to 8points in 3games. And i got him in 3 of my Fantasy Teams :-)
I knew this kid would rock this season, and i also did believe he would have a fair shot at the 100 point mark - but this much improvement and absolute domina...
Despite the US having 24 of 30 NHL teams, countless minor league franchises, and a few hotbeds of college and even high school hockey, the popularity of the game below the 49th parallel is severely lacking, keeping it a so-called "niche sport". From my position as an American hockey fan, I hope to shed some light on this unfortunate phenomenon.
In the abstract, hockey s...
Despite the US having 24 of 30 NHL teams, countless minor league franchises, and a few hotbeds of college and even high school hockey, the popularity of the game below the 49th parallel is severely lacking, keeping it a so-called "niche sport". From my position as an American hockey fan, I hope to shed some light on this unfortunate phenomenon.
In the abstract, hockey s...
If you haven't gone on TSN's website yet, Toronto's Jason Blake has been diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), an uncommon form of cancer. Blake is the second player in as many years to be diagnosed with cancer (the other being Masterton Trophy winner Phil Kessel). He announced the diagnosis today on the Leafs' website. Just as a side note, LEAFS STILL SUCK...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Columbus Day: Discover the Isles vs Washington at 2pm
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
While some celebrate Columbus Day, where he discovered the Americas in 1492. Well, he didn't really. The Vikings and even the Chinese actually might have found these lands long before. But, what is more important is that in 2007-2008 season, the NY Islanders found their first line and some offensive threa...
Well, the first five contests that the Anaheim Ducks have completed churned out a record of 1-3-1. Not what you'd expect from a full forced team like the Ducks considering their depth has not changed much from last year. The fact of the matter is that, well, yes the team has lost out on retaining Dustin Penner, retirement contemplations by Teemu Selanne and Scott Neidermay...
[b]Recap[/b]
The Rangers began the 2007-2008 season by posting a 1-1 record. They beat Florida by a score of 5-2 on Thursday,followed by a 2-0 shutout loss in Ottawa. Although did come out with 2 points, the Rangers seemed shaky on the ice in both games, did not play well as a unit and generally did not put out a good effort. While the 4-goal third period on Opening Night...
Tomorrow at 7 PM eastern time, the maple leafs will battle the hurricanes. Now leaf fans, expect Toskala to start because his performance against the Montreal canadiens was something that will bench Raycroft for a while. One interesting note about Toskala's performance...did you see his lateral movement? It was lightning fast.
[b]Keys to victory[/b]
Carolina is more of...
I found myself, much like probably every other Canuck fan on Saturday night biting my fingernails and sitting on the edge of my seat for 3/4 of the game. Perhaps it was the early goal that got past Luongo, or the daze I was left in after I quickly adjusted my TV, trying to fix the color from the new (baby blue Canucks Jerseys). However I think the major contributor t...
I like most Toronto Maple Leaf fans, and hockey fans in general was shocked by the announcement that Toronto forward Jason Blake was diagnosed with Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia. I must say that the Leafs management did something right for once and handled this situation with the utmost class, offering Blake time off, whatever he wants. I have new found respect for Jason Bl...
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...
For anybody who was wondering (which quite possibly is nobody...haha) I never did write part 3 of Living up to the Big Bucks.
There are some interesting stories developing already in this young NHL season; The Avalanche led by sophomore Paul Stastny, the Edmonton Oilers starting 2-0 against two tough teams, the Defending Champion Ducks starting 1-3, and the Capitals sta...
mapleleaf92 writes...
The Maurice Gurantee already in danger not Toskala's Fault
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Leaf fans, on October 9th 2007, we have been disgraced 7-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes. So early in the season, the leafs defense has collapsed us, and Vesa Toskala.
You may all remember Maurice guaranteeing us a playoff series in Toronto. Last night's efforts made him look bad. It started on William's goal. He was wide open and was able to walk in about 4 feet before sna...
Last night I watched the beat down the 'Canes put on the Leafs. During the game the Vs. spent a period of time talking about Erik Cole and his broken neck. Now, as much as his injury was unfortunate, I have seen a sad trend that is occuring in the league. The trend that I have witnessed time and time again is the players turning their back to the oncoming player, who wi...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on the Canadiens at the Mellon Arena. They lost to Montreal 3-2. During the game, there were times where the Pens looked magnificant and there were times when they could not complete a pass if their lives depended on it. It was an up and down night. Unfortunetly, the Pens did not pull this one out on top.
The Pens' goals were...
In the Vancouver-Philadelphia game, Flyers winger Jesse Boulerice viciously two handed Canucks center Ryan Kesler in the jaw. It was a flagrant, brutal action and Boulerice is certainly deserving of a nice, long suspension.
Where it gets interesting is the Flyers have a guy currently suspended. That would be Steve Downie, who was suspended for twenty games for his bruta...
The FlyerFly writes...
10/10 - Briere and Boulerice Provide Highs And Lows In Rout
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
VANCOUVER - If the Philadelphia Flyers were looking to build momentum off their time atop the mountains of Whistler, British Columbia, they couldn't have asked for much more. That is, of course, unless you count Jesse Boulerice. Danny Briere wrote himself into the record books in just his 3rd game with the team with his goal and 2 assists, and Mike Richards added the fin...
A few things overshadowed by the momentary idiocy of Jesse Boulerice:
-[b]Mike Richards[/b]. A career-high 4-point night (2g-2a). His smooth backhand pass to RJ Umberger put the first nail (second goal 13 seconds after the first) in Vancouver's coffin, and he slammed it shut with a goal 2 men short. This could be the game that establishes Richards as a go-to guy.
-[b...
...i understand that certain flyers players have been taking liberties with your canadian teams' players. but lets not fly off the handle this time around like with the downie incident.
campbell needs to address this just like he did downie and give him the 20 game 'benchmark' suspension. but just remember, when chris neil, ryan malone or darcy tucker take to dropping ...
Last night I was out for dinner with my parents who are in town and we heard two cheers from the Canucks' fans. So that means they scored twice. I didn't watch the game and I didn't see the highlights till I said my goodbyes and went home. Vancouver got smoked 8-2. That explains why I only heard two cheers.
So here we have two Canadian teams that are well loved acro...
He damn well shouldn't be. That is for sure. I cannot even believe what I saw last night. A fourth line plug, who isn't even really good enough to be called a plug, cross checks a skilled player in the face. Ryan Kesler did not see it coming, there was no reason for it (Boulerice says that Kesler took a run at Randy Jones...ya...ok...), he didn't have the puck, and he ...
It was a great day for rookie goaltenders making their first career starts yesterday. Montreal's Carey Price stopped 26 shots in a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. On an interesting note, Habs' greats Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy both made their NHL and Habs debuts against the Pens, Roy's debut occurring on the exact same date as Price's. Some critics are saying that Pr...
To my surprise, I read this morning that the Canucks shipped Shannon down to the AHL team in the minors.
[url]http://canucks.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=339792[/url]
Maybe I am reading too much into this, but is this move for good ?
From all accounts Shannon had a very good pre-season and training camp, he was on everyone's top list...
Edit: Canucks.com Made it official, Rick Rypien is up and is expected to play.
Canucks are 1-2-0 Edmonton is 2-2-0. The Canucks have just re-assign Ryan Shannon who ha 2 goals but was the leagues worste +/- with -7, according to CDC forums Team1040 sports radio is reporting that we have called up Rick Rypien, Witch Canucks.com has confirmed. I have no clue who the Canucks...
WildMTUFan writes...
NHL playing hardball with Charter, another loss for fans
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Today I got a call from a CSR at Charter Communications corporate headquarters about the NHL Center Ice package. They basically told me the same thing I've been hearing for the past week and a half, the NHL wants too much.
This is classic NHL (maybe just classic Bettman era, not sure.) in the premise that the league wants to make these huge deals, but doesn't think about...
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...
Every once in a while you see a photo and you think...man, I have seen that person before. When you put the face with the other photo and you get that lightbulb moment...you have "Separated at Birth?"
For example....let's start with Wade Belak, since everything is his fault anyway.
[img:left]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_1300.jpg[/img][img]http:/...
Every once in a while you see a photo and you think...man, I have seen that person before. When you put the face with the other photo and you get that lightbulb moment...you have "Separated at Birth?"
For example....let's start with Wade Belak, since everything is his fault anyway.
[img:left]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_1300.jpg[/img][img]http:/...
Every once in a while you see a photo and you think...man, I have seen that person before. When you put the face with the other photo and you get that lightbulb moment...you have "Separated at Birth?"
For example....let's start with Wade Belak, since everything is his fault anyway.
[img:left]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_1300.jpg[/img][img]http:/...
Every once in a while you see a photo and you think...man, I have seen that person before. When you put the face with the other photo and you get that lightbulb moment...you have "Separated at Birth?"
For example....let's start with Wade Belak, since everything is his fault anyway.
[img:left]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_1300.jpg[/img][img]http:/...
As reported and begged for by the majority of the media and fans Jesse Boulerice received a 25 game suspension.
He will start the suspension immediately.
The Flyers have the home opener and the buzz around the players and the fans are truly electric. With their win versus the Canucks earlier this week, it shows the team is ready to compete this year. Something t...
Here are the standings...I'm not sure whats going to happen with the job or not and I'm not sure if I'll continue this, but who knows...
[b][u]3 Points[/u][/b]
brendonkuhn
chompsy
[u][b]1 Point[/b][/u]
DrChristianTroy
KirktheCanuck
[u][b]0 Points[/b][/u]
vojdog
Sashimi23
scoot
Jbug
thehugs
trio151 ...
Canucks strike oil with a 5-2 bounce back win over Edmonton, Canucks goals by Henrik Sedin, Rick Rypien, Alex Burrows, Brendan Morrison, And Markus Naslund. Edmonton goals by Sheldon Souray, and Raffi Torres. Rypien and Burrows Both had 2 point night with a goal and assist, considering Burrows' goal was shorthanded and this was Rypien first game since Shannons send down an...
just look at colin campbell's quote from his transcript
[b]COLIN CAMPBELL: No, I'm not concerned. They've always had that image that dates back to '72 when they were nicknamed "The Broad Street Bullies." If you look at the time that I've been associated with the National Hockey League doing this job, with discipline, I don't recall -- I think I've had a couple of player...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Full Metal Jacket - Flyers week that was and week to come
Posted Monday | Comments 0
"[i]Atlanta, Jersey and the Canes[/i] are only a few days away, and the recruits of the [i]2007-08 Flyers[/i] are salty. They are ready to eat their own guts and ask for seconds." - [b]Full Metal Jacket[/b]
OK...so maybe Stanley Kubric doesn't know the first thing about hockey or the Flyers first homestand of the season. But the abovementioned quote, narrated by Matth...
Alexander Edler has been recalled from the Manitoba Moose(AHL) and will suit up tonight against the Sharks. Its the first time we'll get to see him play since suffering a hip injury in the pre-season. Edler was called up because Lukas Krajicek blocked a bunch of shots last night and is day to day with a foot injury.
Jannik Hansen is getting his hand x-rayed tomorrow and h...
Just found this info looking around this morning...Google is your friend
"Effective Thursday, October 18, 2007, the NHL Network will be available on channel 401 as part of the iO Sports Pak and on channel 429 as part of the NHL Center Ice seasonal sports package. NHL Network will be available in all service areas (except Woodbury Spectrum--Oak Beach, Gilgo Beach and Dom...
Wow
All I can say is WOW. Now I've seen everything. Don't assume that I'm one of those bandwagon Leaf fans that are constantly bashing our team but last night was once again a game we should have won, no doubt about it.
Now to all those so-called die hard fans who know everything, was it Raycrofts fault last night? No chance. It was just a streak of horrible and i me...
The answer is: Future considerations. The question: What was Larry Murphy traded away from the Leafs for?
And in my limited research, I can't find what those considerations were, except for two-thirds of Murphy's Detroit salary being paid by the Leafs. Basically, they paid to get rid of him.
Now, media seem to look back on the booing as just Toronto taking our their ...
When a team wins the Stanley Cup, each player and all the personnel for the team get to spend one day with the coveted cup. That's right, 24 hours. One of the keepers and caretakers of the Cup, Mike Bolt, says that each player has it "24 hours, and not one minute less". And why would you give it up before you had to? I mean, it's the freakin' Stanley Cup - the most coveted...
The Staal brothers will be at it again tomorrow night in Pittsburgh, as the Canes visit the Pens for what will be the second meeting of the season. Hopefully this time around, little brother Jordan can outplay, or at least shutdown his older brother Eric. In the season opener, Eric netted two goals in a 4-1 victory in front of the Carolina crowd. Perhaps it'll be a differe...
Listening to the talkcast with EK's mom today brought up a great memory of my mom, who was a great hockey mom. Before my brother and I started playing, my mom had no interest whatsoever in hockey. Once my brother and I laced up the skates, my mom became a fan. Well at least a fan of my brother and I. I was more of a rabid NHL fan then my brother was, and actually cheered f...
Jsaquella writes...
Random Flyers Thoughts-What A Difference A Year Can Make
Posted Friday | Comments 0
One year ago, the governments of the Philadelphia region were discussing adding Prozac to the water supply to keep unhappy Flyers fans from jumping off the Walt Whitman bridge as the team staggered to a 1-8-1 start on the way to a 56 point season.
Now a year later, much is good about the Flyers.
-Trade Deadline pick up Martin Biron has been providing good to excellen...
The Isles came to Washington last night with a lot of questions, being put back to earth with a .500 record. However, some of those got answered last night with wild game that saw [b]Bill Guerin[/b] tear it up with 3 goals, and a stellar performance by [b]Rick DiPietro[/b] in goal.
By no means was this a one-sided affair. Before Guerin led them to closing the Capitals o...
A come from behind win at the ACC saw the Leafs score a goal in a goofy last minute against the Panthers. A good bounce back game after a heart breaker two nights earlier. As I watched the game early on I have to say that I was quite discusted. Not with the Leafs play, not with the defence, not even that they were down 2-0 early on... but rather with the chorus of boo's...
Another blog in a series of blogs that focus on the game outside of scores and reviews, here's one that deals with band wagons and jumping ship...
There are purists out there (mostly Leaf and Hab fans) that believe you root for one team your whole life - win or lose, whiners or not - they are YOUR team. I do believe that once you are grown up enough to make a tough deci...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took ono the Hurricanes at the Mellon Arena. The final score, after the shootout was 4-3 Pens. In the first, Sykora scored (Crosby, Recchi) to tie it at one. Then in the second, Hall scored (Ruutu, Talbot) and next Sykora scored (Gonchar, Crosby) too tie it at 3. In the shootout Christensen, Sykora, and Crosby all scored to make the sh...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on the Caps on the road. They came out victorious 2-1. Both of the Pens' goals came in the second period. Staal scored assisted by Recchi and Orpik and then Whitney (PP) assisted by Crosby and Malone. Comgratulations to Ryan Whitney on his 100th point tonight. Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal stopping 30 of 31 shots. The Pens had 2...
Consider it to be a little bit out of character for a Pittsburgh Penguins squad that has on average scored three goals a game this year to win by the score of 2-1. But hey, they'll take it.
The Penguins improved to 4-3 on the season with a road victory in DC. The defense did their best to contain Ovechkin, but he still managed to get off 9 shots. That is why full credit...
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_canes.jpg[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_flyersbackground.jpg[/img]
Wow...What a game.
No clever song titles, no catchy movie lines, no historical or literary references.
This game needed none of that.
I know the season is still in its infancy and frost hasn't yet been on the pu...
Well here we are 9 games into the season and the Leafs have scored the most goals in the NHL who would have though that when the season started, but there is one little problem we have also let the most goals in the league thus far and look to continue to do so if we dont make some moves with our defensemen.
The Leafs penalty killing is ranked 28th and its not hard to s...
It was a homecoming of sorts for Ryan Kesler, and he made the most of it.
The former Ohio State standout scored two goals, including an empty-netter, propelling the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-1 victory over the Blue Jackets on a night they would like to forget. Backup goaltender Curtis Sanford, making his first start of the season, stopped 35 shots in the victory.
T...
What made the person or persons who own the Philadelphia and New York franchises to name their teams the Flyers and Rangers respectively? What possesses you to call your team the Lightning or the Canadiens?
Let's start with the some original six teams, some that still might have some meaning.
[b]The Montreal Canadiens:[/b] Canadiens represented the nationality of th...
ExtraB writes...
McDonalds Exclude Sidney Crosby Hockey Card For Second Year
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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The 2007-08 NHL McDonald's Hockey Cards are set to be released on November 20, 2007. Upper Deck’s website has the check list online already. After going through it I noticed that Sidney Crosby was not included again for the second year in a row.
This is the third set of McDonald’s hockey cards to come out since Sidney Crosby entered the NHL. Crosby only had one M...
and are outplayed by their lesser known mates, what should a coach do? During the last game the Ducks played against the Dallas Stars, there was one Duck who stood out against his other teammates - Drew Miller. The younger brother of Sabres goalie Ryan Miller, scored his 1st NHL goal the game before against the Nashville Preds and the excitement of that event clearly car...
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Twice a year the largest sport card expo and memorabilia show takes place in Toronto during the spring and fall. Collectors, dealers, manufacturers, and autograph guests come from all reaches of the globe to attend this fabulous event. Being in Toronto, one of the largest hockey markets around, a lot of emphasis is placed on hockey cards and memorabilia. This year Upp...
The FlyerFly writes...
10/24 - Flyers Lose 4-3 To Panthers; Gagne Leaves Game Early
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
All good things must come to an end, even the Philadelphia Flyers 5 game winning streak. But the Flyers had to try to defend that streak largely without the services of star forward Simon Gagne. The Flyers began their season-long 8 game road trip by visiting the Florida Panthers, but Olie Jokinen and Gregory Campbell made sure that the Flyers did not continue their winni...
Ryan Smyth returned to Edmonton for the first time since being traded last season at the deadline. He was traded to the New York Islanders for prospect Ryan O'Marra, Robert Nilsson and the Islander's first round draft pick for the 07 draft (Alex Plante).
Before the game began a tribute to Ryan Smyth was shown over the video display board of his contributions to the Edm...
After a long day at work I climbed into my car and was welcomed by hall of fame play by play anouncer Peter Mahr, the Flames Vs. Wild game was just starting. I've been in a bad mood for two days at this point with the lack luster and lopsided defeat to the sharks still very fresh in my mind, I'm hoping against hope that the Flames can overcome the odds and beat the only un...
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An Eduoard Newsy Lalonde C55 1910-11 Imperial Tobacco hockey card, graded 3 out of 10, has sold for $100K tying the record for the most paid for a hockey card. In April 2007 the record was set by a C56 1911-12 Georges Vezina rookie card graded in mint condition.
You can read about the Vezina Card Sale at:
[url]http://www.hockeyheadquarters.com/articles/vezina-rc-10...
I'm sitting here in Uniondale talking about life, liberty and blogging with my fellow blog-boxer in Kevin Rosenblatt, who has an excellent blog http://islandersoutsider.blogspot.com as the Islanders Outsider. We are commiserating on our career paths, which are a lot alike.
Word has come down on Boston's Patrice Bergeron, who was hit from behind by Randy Jones from Phil...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens fell to Montreal on Saturday, in a shootout. It went to 8 shooter a side, which is a bit insane. Sabourin played well in the shootout. Fleury started the game aand was pulled after allowing the third goal, during the second period. Sykora, Crosby and dWhitney had the Pens 3 goals. After the shootout out the final score was 4-3 Canadiens. The ...
Well the first month of the season is complete and the Sabres are a .500 team. How do you think the team's Captains for October did?
Here are the stats of these players:
Player GP G A P +/- PIM PP SH GW S S%
Jochen Hecht 10 3 4 7 1 4 0 0 0 32 9.4
Henrik Tallinder 10 0 2 2 -3 10 0 0 0 6 0.0
...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/greatpumpkin.jpg[/img]
[b]The Great Pumpkin, Gary Bettman[/b]
A Thumb-in-Mouth Commentary
B.D. Gallof
Dear Great Pumpkin,
I am looking forward to your arrival on Halloween night. I hope you will bring me lots of presents. For it is another season of hockey. Despite the NHL's pigeonhole into the depths of Comcast's outhou...
I knew it would come, of course ... eventually ... (and I'm not talking about the Islanders next game, though it does seem like, oh, I don't know, ABOUT SIX YEARS SINCE THEIR LAST ONE!) I digress ...
I knew that, inevitably, the first Isles/Lightning game of the year would arrive and that I may have to field all sorts of questions about my allegiance(s) once again. You ...
While it's early in the season to declare any game a must win I am going out on a limb and saying that tonight’s game against the Canucks is a must win. The Preds have got to win this game, if for no other reason, to prove to themselves and others that they can win on the road.
As a Preds fan you know how bad it is. 0-5 on the road...can't buy a goal to save ours...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Sillinger's Night of 1000 Games: Isles Beat Tampa 4-0
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
So finally, here we are. A game. Tampa comes to town off a bad loss. Hmmm, don't they all come to town this way. Well, the Isles best be ready. Tampa comes in with defensive inconsistency and no top tier goalie. Even Holmquist is not playing. In goal is Marc Denis. But this will be far from a pushover. Ta...
This is the story I wrote for my school newspaper:
The Carolina Hurricanes have started the 2007-2008 NHL season strong, with a 7-3-3 record. The last time the Hurricanes started the season with seven wins was in the 2005-2006 season, in which they were 8-2-1, a franchise record. They also won the Stanley Cup in that year.
There is another similarity between that ...
That’s the song that Pred Nation is singing this morning (that is if they are awake after the 10p central start last night!). Once again Dan Ellis is called upon and for the third time in a row he answers with a win and his second shutout in three starts. To say that he might be a hot goalie right now might be an understatement.
The Preds had a solid game plan las...
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/blacklogo.jpg?t=1194045859[/img][img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_capitals.jpg[/img]
This is a [u]statement[/u] game. [b]Period[/b].
The Flyboys were solidly outplayed by a more determined, grittier team that spent too much time in the Flyers' zone. The Flyers spent too much time in the box ag...
When a team is said to have potential year after year, at a certain point people start believing that potential is unfulfilled.
As the saying goes, potential is often a nice way of saying something simply is not very good right now.
Scratch the potential from Columbus Blue Jackets in that case. If you have not noticed, this team is very good.
How good? A playoff t...
The FlyerFly writes...
11/2 - Richards Provides Spark, Leads Flyers over Caps
Posted Friday | Comments 0
http://flyerflies.com/main/recaps/07-08/07-11-02.html
Before the opening of the regular season, Philadelphia Flyers head coach John Stevens decided to give the alternate captain title to 3rd year center Mike Richards.
Stevens is certainly not regretting that decision early in the Flyers season.
Richards brought the Flyers out of a 1st period funk by winning a ...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/superarbour.jpg[/img]
Legends are hard to come by. Yes we hype the hell out of that flavor of the week/month/year. We heap accolades on them. Especially when a sport has been devoid of that and buzz for years. But they haven't accomplished even a dent to surface of what makes a legend. True legends are those we will talk about d...
It's been awhile, whatelse can I say. In the busy life that I lead, I have been unable to follow the Canucks as closely as I have in past season. So far this season it seems to be a good thing. With that being said it seems that we will all be looking for "other things" to occupy our minds while the Canucks play out what appears to be a rather dissmal season.
Yes, it i...
ExtraB writes...
Priority Signings Hockey Cards To Include Gretzky and Crosby
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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In a previous post I announced the details of the upcoming Fall Sports Card Expo taking place in Toronto November 9-11. Both Upper Deck and In The Game Trading Cards will be offering amazing hockey card wrapper redemption programs. I had reported on the details for the ITG program but Upper Deck had not released the details of their program.
[img]http://www.hockeyh...
With Nashville and Chicago both looking for 3 straight wins Sunday evening at the United Center, one could only foresee a battle within the Central Division.
Even though Chris Mason of the Nashville Predators has received his fair share of disbelief from the fans, he certainly showed his talent tonight against a young Chicago Blackhawks team. Mason finally snapped his ...
I'm seeing and hearing a lot about how impressive the Habs have been 14 games into the season, but I need to remind myself that recent history suggests this hot start is not something to get too excited about. Any Habs fan remember last year when leading into (and after) the All Star break the team was below average? Last year is not the only year the Habs have blown a dec...
This is my first blog on this site, and will be one of many more into the future... I hope.
The players for the All-star Fan Ballots have been announced, and already there are a few notables left off...
Martin Gerber, Rod Brind'amour.... etc.
Now, using these two as prime examples, statistically they are among the best players in the league. Gerber leads th...
Right now as it stands the Flames are looking grim, bumping up against the cap with a little wiggle room and sitting at .500, this seems like a great time to make up some trade posibilities and use some facts as well.
Recently there was a rumor circulating that Kovalev was a target of the Calgary Flames for Tanguay, obviously based on the points Tangauy gets and the fac...
The Rangers plan and system is again showing postive signs this year. Scotty Gomez is taking his foot off the break and showing why he was the breakdown specialist in NJ. Add a little Sean Avery to the Mix and the teams line combinations are starting to take shape. The Rangers have a nice balance of skill and grit on each line, and steady D-men running the points. With ...
The Rangers plan and system is again showing postive signs this year. Scotty Gomez is taking his foot off the break and showing why he was the breakdown specialist in NJ. Add a little Sean Avery to the Mix and the teams line combinations are starting to take shape. The Rangers have a nice balance of skill and grit on each line, and steady D-men running the points. With ...
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...
ExtraB writes...
Heroes and Prospects Cards Fully Loaded: New Tavares Set Too
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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In The Game, Inc. began putting out the Heroes and Prospects hockey card set during the 2004-05 hockey season. This set has proven to be a favorite among hardcore and casual hockey card collectors alike. Each year the set delivers a great bang for your buck as it is fully loaded with autograph and game used memorabilia pieces of hockey equipment actually worn by playe...
[b]The NHL did a great thing[/b] by putting a large chunk of divisional games so early in the season this year. It really gets the rivalries going and gives each team a great opportunity to see what they are competing against in their division. For a long time I was wondering why they NHL didn’t do more of this...to me it seemed so easy a solution to add meaning to th...
In the summer of 2005, the Gallof boys took a roadtrip to the city of brotherly love. I have been to Philly several times, almost going to college there, but neither of my siblings had ever been there. As we walked the streets on a July 4th weekend, cigars clasped on our maws, looking for a bar with Magic Hat #9 on tap, some local Philadelphian blue-collar man looked at ou...
Remembrance Day just passed up here in Canada and with American Thanksgiving on the way, it made me start thinking of reasons why I am thankful at this time of year, some of which I'd like to share with you all below.
*I am sooooooo thankful of the people who have answered our country's call, both in the past and now, who and continue to defend the lifestyle we lead and...
To all Leaf fans around the world, dont you just hate seeing our beloved Maple Leafs lose especially in a tight affair to our hated rivals Les Canadiens. I know i do, i like most Leaf fans would love to see the Leafs go 82-0 in a season but nothing could be further from the truth, though the Leafs do try and try but continue to give away all the points that they can. The L...
I went in to last night excited to watch my Habs take on the Leafs and hopefully bring home a victory, which they happily did. As I do not get RDS in my cable package, I hoped and assumed that since this was Habs/Leafs, the game would obviously be aired nationally. Is there really any other game in Canada quite as big as when these two age-old rivals square off? Well, appa...
Can some please explain to me why Roberto Luongo gets credit for a shutout in a 1-0 shootout loss?
I am totally bitter this morning. This week I am going against the guy i traded Lecavalier to and his 5 points last night (joke is on me), but Luongo is getting shutout points for a 1-0 loss? Kinda chaps me up here.
Can someone explain why this is? It is even confirme...
[url]http://www.tsn.ca/tsn_tal...columnists/darren_dreger[/url]
A quote from the piece:
[quote]It's believed the Flyers would like to add a more defensive minded forward to their mix, a player capable of shutting down the oppositions offensive threats. Carter could be the bait to get just such a player.[/quote]
Someone please tell me this is wrong. For some time, ...
Having lived in Vancouver for just about a year now, I've had the esteemed privelage of attending 4 Canuck games. All of which I lovingly cheer for my Flamers' division rival, but more importantly, cheering for a good game. The Canucks are 0-4 in the games I have attended, including a loss last year late in the season to the Flames! They are currently marred in a 7.5 pe...
The Rangers continue to get better,especially the young players. With Mark Staal ripping a shot past Marty 499 last nite, I expect his offence to take off too. His defensive game is rounding out nicely . Early in the year he was beaten wide now not only does he shut down the oposing foward but steals the puck and takes off up the ice. I attibute his progression to playing ...
The San Jose Sharks are finally winning the games they should win. We have seen this team drop many games to divisional rivals who sit below them in the standings too often. For many years the Sharks have had trouble taking down inferior opponents, but that looks to possibly have changed. Many people have been saying woop-dee-doo they won 4 straight, ha against the Coyotes...
If you are a die-hard fan of the storied Toronto Maple Leafs, you have felt many years of disappointment. Every September there is hope that this will be the year "we" will end the 40-year Stanley Cup drought. All signs indicate that this Stanley Cup famine will reach at least 41 years.
As a fan of the blue and white I have to say that the salary-cap system is terribl...
Have not had much time to this sort of stuff lately, but lets see if I can get in the hang of this again.
For about the 6th game in a row the Buffalo Sabres played a solid game, but the bounces finally went their way as they get a well deserved 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
Viewpoints:
Best 1st period they have played all season. Guys were flying all ov...
I have a serious case of the Mondays, I do not even really know exactly what that means, but I heard that lady say it in [i]Office Space[/i], so it must mean something. I have been spending my past weeks getting my new home ready to live in this week. Thankfully no one was planning on coming to our place for Thanksgiving because it would have been crappy eating on T.V. tra...
The Isles put together another defensive gem to beat the Rangers in MSG last night, giving Rick DiPietro 100th win, and fittingly versus his nearest competitor, Henrik Lundquist.
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/100wins.jpg[/img]
"Isles Beat Rangers at MSG". A simple title to a simple win. Not easy. But, somehow automatic for a team that in the last several years, ...
DucksFan07 writes...
Lecavalier and the All Star Ballot - What is the Deal?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Sidney Crosby leads all Eastern Conference vote getters by over a 2:1 margin. Will he end the season with over 240 points and is he twice as good as his closest talent? I say assuredly "No." The leading scorer in the NHL and the best player in the NHL today is Vincent Lecavalier and he has less than one third the votes of Sid. What gives? Daniel Briere, a great player...
Save for the drubbing against the Hurricanes, DiPietro has kepted his head in the game, and most importantly his butt in the net.
Tonight is sure to bring on a heart stopping match up of the east's most prolific Power Play Team(MON 11-6-3 25pts) and the Team(NYI 11-6-0 22pts) with the 2nd best penalty killing in the east. Lets examine some numbers for the game.
So ...
So here we are, upon a Thanksgiving, with many fans talking turkey about the dreaded post-Ranger malaise, which we now might need an inoculation for instead of the usual Flu shot. You know the drill. Where the Isles come off a big win with a hazy dull outing the very next game.
Now, despite the denials, there will always be a letdown after a big game, but this was the t...
After going 1-4 to start their 9 game exercise against their Northeast counterparts, the Buffalo Sabres are right back into the thick of things.
You have to love the way they are playing the last 3 games. Scoring first, getting big goals when needed, and a total commitment to solid two-way play has led the team on a 3 game winning streak, all against teams ahead of them...
After beginning the 9 game division 1-4, the Buffalo Sabres climbed over 500 for the streak after a 3-0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens.
Thomas Vanek continued his dominance of the past couple games, netting his second goal in as many nights. Jaro Spacek and Jochen Hecht had the other goals.
Andrew Peters had his best game as a Sabre. He was all over the ice, playi...
Don't let anyone ever tell you that hockey is just a physical game. It might be a game of snap decisions on the fly in such a fast-paced flow, but any professional player who has found success has mastered or at least, faced, the mental aspects of competition.
None could tell you a better tale of this process than [b]Andy Hilbert[/b] who hit so many posts, despite his t...
Earlier this week I was able to get in touch with Hamilton Bulldogs forward Ajay Baines. Ajay played his junior hockey for the Kamloops Blazers, and broke into the AHL in 2000 playing for the Norfolk Admirals. Ajay played for them for 5 and a half seasons, becoming the franchise's all-time leading scorer. He signed a contract with the Hamilton Bulldogs last season, and hel...
[b]VANCOUVER CANUCKS
IS THERE MORE THAN ROBERTO?
[/b]
The next team on my fan blogging tour is the Vancouver Canucks. The Canucks have one of the best defenses in the League. The Canucks’ defense is not only known for their ability, but for the system and their determination with which they play. I have often heard what would happen if Loungo goes down. Simply p...
CaptShark writes...
We're Back ! Sharks Talkcast Tonight: Questions of Concern !
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It has been a week since the last Sharks talkcast and yet we have only seen one Sharks game since then. This schedule has just been absolutely ridiculous so far this season, what a joke. It has been hard for this Sharks to gain any momentum thus far, too many days between most games. Although their best stretch of the season came in a week where they played Phoenix three t...
Before I get into my thoughts on the Sabres, I have to comment on the hit from Scott Hartnell on Andrew Alberts. Once again, another Flyer hits someone from behind. I dont want to call the Flyers a dirty team because I really dont think they are. But once is enough, two is pushing it and three tends to become a trend.
I didnt think the hit on Patrice Bergeron was that b...
Lightningtaz24 writes...
Predators Economic Impact on Downtown Nashville
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Let's examine the attendance issue of the Predators and the Economic Impact they have on downtown Nashville. Here are the stats. (Taken from ESPN)
(Past 7 seasons, All attendance not just paid attendance, Titans and Preds)
Titans GP Total Attendance
69,143 5 345,715 (thru 5 home games this season)
69,143 8 553,144
69,149 8 553,192
68,901 8 551,208
68,809 8 550,472...
With Todd Bertuzzi making his first appearance against Vancouver since he has left, alot of emotions have been flying around. I am really looking for answers... this is why
Something I wan't to get off my chest for some time is the events leading up to Bertuzzi's hit on moore. The fact that Moore blatently elbowed Naslund ( Bertuzzi's linemate, His best friend ) only...
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 ...
Here’s a note to all local NY media. DO NOT,DO NOT ,DO NOT, mix the Rangers with the Knicks in the same conversation. With all the turmoil going on surrounding Madison Square Garden, writers and broadcasters are quick to make broad statements lumping them together. I’m not quick to burn Charles Dolan at the stake either. Sure he’s like a glorified fan buying up as ma...
Now that it looks like the Preds sell will actually go to the Local Ownership group, lead by David Freeman, I am interested to hear from you Pred fans as to what moves you think they will make and what moves you would like to see them make. I am referring to on-ice personnel, of course. If you would like to share your ideas on what they should do off-ice as well those comm...
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...
[img:right]http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/6527/recchi81099zv1.jpg[/img]Could there be a homecoming for Penguins winger Mark Recchi?
Recchi, who won a Stanley Cup in 2006 with Carolina, is rumoured to have seeked a trade from Pens GM Ray Shero after being a healthy scratch for more than once so far this season.
Who would want the 39 year old winger and $1.75M sala...
The sound is very quiet, but it is there. As he pulls his purple and orange jersey over his head, surely Denis Gauthier curses the salary cap and Gary Bettman while his face is shrouded in the fabric of the Phantom. How could he not? The 31 year old Gauthier, a veteran of 489 NHL games under his belt, is riding the buses of the AHL because his $2.1M contract didn’t fi...
Would it be Brashear or Pronger or Boll or Godard or Parker or Boogaard or Chara or Neil? None of these guys hold that distinction. Instead, there is Tie Domi incarnate leading the league and his name is Daniel Carcillo. Who.......? What team does he play for......? The Phoenix Coyotes. Those of you in the west may have guessed it right because you've seen this 5'11" ...
And so we're approaching December....
The teams have established themselves as to where they sit in the league, where they need to improve and so on...
one thing that has been very noticeable is just how incredibly inconsistant almost every team in the league has been thus far with only Detroit once again showing the constant and consistant poise it has for essential...
Why the NHL won’t expand in Canada?
Canada is the centre of the hockey world. With over 50% of the NHL’s players coming form Canada, we dominate who plays the game, how the game is played but not where the game is played. Everywhere you go in Canada hockey is the #1 sport and we Canadians are more loyal, knowledgeable, and die hard then any country about any sport. ...
BuffaloMat writes...
Auctioning off a Autographed Ovechkin Puck (Read inside)
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After listening to Ek's idea on the talk show earlier in the week about having the idea of handing out Hockey Buzz hats at the Winter Classic this year and needing people to help contribute to pay for this idea an idea popped into my head. As small as this may seem (I am by far not a rich man) I want to auction off my autographed Alexander Ovechkin Puck. This puck was sig...
Okay...just finished watching this on DVR and all I can say is wow! Down 4-1 with less than ten minutes to play and the Preds come back to win in 5-4 in a shootout! Don't have a ton of time right now but some quick thoughts...
[b]Work finally paid off for Jed Ortmeyer[/b]. Not only did he have a ton of chances tonight but he has been playing hard all year for us. I have...
The Watcher writes...
Kovalev : Understanding the Russian Enigma (Part I)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Many players came to the hockey-crazed city of Montreal over the years hoping to win over a crowd who breaths hockey. To say the task is difficult would be an understatement. The Canadians fans love their team and it’s players with passion. As with every relationship that fuel on passion and love, hate is a big part of the equation. Bombarded with the opinion and ana...
And hear we are, just over a week after the 5-1 loss to the Coyotes. A week ago we had newspapers and radio shows picking out who was going to be the new GM of the Leafs as everyone had assumed his days were done. Since then the Leafs have picked up 5 out of a possible 6 points and for the time being it seems as though that is all but a distant memory……For now. ...
There once was a time when a struggling team could be counted on to make a trade in an attempt to change it's fate. There was a time when teams would swap key players in an attempt to shake up their roster and kick-start them onto the path of success.
That time is gone.
With the end of the lockout fans were promised more player movement along with more parity in the...
Hockey Canada is currently waiting for final word from the remaining two NHL teams with Junior eligible players, on whether or not those players will be released to represent Canada at the WJHC. Those two teams are the Edmonton Oilers (Sam Gagner) and the St. Louis Blues (David Perron). Minnesota (James Sheppard), Boston (Milan Lucic), Pittsburgh (Jordan Staal) and Chica...
Last nights Sharks victory extended the win streak to 3. I normally do not start calling them streaks until after three, but due to the start of this season I will make an exception. This streak feels different though. The four game streak where San Jose took three from Phoenix and a game from Dallas did not have the same feeling to it. It almost seemed like everyone kind ...
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On November 20, 2007 the popular McDonald’s NHL hockey cards became available through McDonald’s restaurants across Canada and will continue until the end of the year or while supplies last. The last three years the sets were put out by Upper Deck. This year’s set is a definite improvement and one of the nicest McDonald’s hockey card set put out so far by Uppe...
Don't look for me - [i]I'll be hiding[/i].
Another interesting night for yours truly coming up, as I'll attend my first Isles/Lightning game since taking over the Lightning team blogger position for hockeybuzz.com. (I'll be safely tucked away in a luxury suite, borrowing one of Ek's disguises, hiding my face for a plethora of reasons. I'm a pseudo-professional, people. ...
I was sitting back watching the Blackhawks last night and decided to do my daily statistical update for my own personal knowledge. For the first time this year I decided to look and see who is leading this years rookie class in the NHL and low and behold Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are standing above all other rookies in points this year thus far.
I'm sure ...
The Maple Leafs have quieted the media and the naysayers for now, by going on a 4 game winning streak which they hope to carry on with tonight but does this mean that the team should not make a deal if there is one out there that can strengthen the club? According to Eck the Leafs are shopping Kaberle around a very bad move if you ask me but the team does need to improve t...
[b]It seems appropriate [/b]that guys wearing red would come calling in the month of December. That's right Pred fans the hated and despised Red Wings are in town for a 7:00 game at the Sommet Center (why do I put where the game is? Seriously...when was the last time a hockey game was played at Municipal?). Everyone knows that when these teams square off fans of both teams...
The Vancouver Canucks roll into town tonight fresh off a 3-2 win in Anaheim last night. San Jose will look to make the Canucks visit to the tank an unpleasant one. Vancouver like the Sharks, has been bitten by the injury bug. Roberto Luongo, Brendan Morrison, and Brad Isbister will be out of the line up for the Canucks tonight.
Vancouver rookies Jason Jaffray and Mason...
For most teams, the style of play where you get over the center red line and throw the puck deep into your opponent's zone is called "dump and chase" and it can be an effective game strategy against certain teams and at certain times of a game. For the Anaheim Ducks, that strategy is known as "dump and go crush your opponent into the end boards" and it is becoming the 1st...
It was a complete team effort last night. Ten different Sharks players had points,and Nabokov was solid once again. The two goals by Vancouver could have been prevented by simply clearing the puck out of the zone, but hey no complaints, overall the team was good again. Patrick Marleau and Milan Michalek scored mirrored goals of each other, showing the speed and drive we ha...
While yes the Kings clearly have goaltending issues that need solving that may not be the big issue. The big issue takes place in front of LaBarbera, Aubin, or one of those rookies who just got called up from Manchester. They onloy have three guys who can score!!!! Kopitar, Cammy, and Brown can put pucks in the net and then no one else comes close except O'Sullivan who c...
Well it is cold here in Buffalo, but things will be heating up this afternoon in San Jose as the Sharks host the Stars in an afternoon game. The Sharks played their best team effort Thursday night against Vancouver, and I expect the Sharks will come out with the same effort and intensity they had Thursday. It should be a good hard fought battle over 2 points between the Pa...
The San Jose Sharks blemished Scott Neidermayer's return to the Ducks line-up Sunday evening, winning 2-1 in a shootout. Neids however looked like he has not missed a step. His presence was felt on both the defensive and offensive sides of the puck. The teams played a tight and tough game and for the third time in three games against each other this season, the teams went ...
It's clear that the Rangers are having problems with their defense. After four or more goals in the past four games, King looks tired ( wrist & flu). Most goalies in the NHL strive to be the #1 keeper,while others are content to be the # 2. Those that are happy playing the backup role need to be real artists. They need to stay sharp,play locker room good guy,and step ...
It's clear that the Rangers are having problems with their defense. After four or more goals in the past four games, King looks tired ( wrist & flu). Most goalies in the NHL strive to be the #1 keeper,while others are content to be the # 2. Those that are happy playing the backup role need to be real artists. They need to stay sharp,play locker room good guy,and step ...
For the past few days there has been a lot of speculation of what will happen to Chris Simon after his stomping on Jarkko Ruutu in a game against the Penguins last Saturday. The vast majority of feelings out there have been that of a suspension for the rest of the year and possibly a lifetime ban.
Personally I would have lobbied for the lifetime ban, but I would have se...
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...
I feel that this is a topic that has not been getting as much attention as it should. One of the best players in the NHL, he will be going into unrestricted free agency after this season. A blog from Sportsnet suggested that he goes to Montreal, but lets be serious, it won't happen.
Another popular one is that he will go to the leafs, but it certainly will not happen wi...
Bater_91 writes...
Thrashers lose 5-3, Should All-Star Fan Voting be Ended?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Atlanta just finished playing there 2nd stinker of a game in a row, other than Kari Lehtonen and the immortal Ilya Kovalchuk the whole team is just bad right now, I don't know if Hossa is hurt or Ek has hurt his feeling as he hasn't had a trade rumour about Hoss in a while. Either way Hossa is not playing like the Hossa I know and used to love. As I live in Canada I don'...
It's that time of year again. The WJC is taking place in the Czech Republic and every NHL team wants to know how their prospects are performing in this pressure packed tournament. For the few draft hopefuls that play in the tournament that is typically dominated by 19 year olds, all eyes are on them, and if they play well enough, a high draft choice is in the cards. As ...
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...
So, lets all take a moment to review the trials and tribulations of what 2007 has meant to us as Isle fans. Well, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster ride. The Nolan era has put us in the playoff picture, but it is still fuzzy to see how that Polaroid will develop. It certainly got more in focus when the likes of Alexei Yashin hit the bricks. It also was more in focus when ...
[b]1. The Winter Classic[/b]
Overall, the event was a huge success, and I would expect that the NHL is going to plan more for the future. I'd like to see it happen in a Canadian city again though. Perhaps in the Rogers Center in Toronto.
[b]2. The Senators getting bossed around in Washington[/b]
As a leaf fan, i found this to be actually quite entertaining. Ottawa...
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 ...
In my watching of the 2008 World Junior Hockey Championship there has been constant talk of the top two guys for the 2008 Entry Draft in Ottawa. The consensus seems to be that Canadian Steven Stamkos will go #1 and Drew Doughty, a Canadian defender, will go #2. I was quite surprised by this aspect because of the games I have seen Doughty play I have been surprisingly und...
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...
[b]Americans go 1-2-3 in scoring...pretty good...10pts in 4 games for that #12 guy...that's pretty good too. To be fair, vanRiemsdyk had a really good third period-he was strong on the puck and worked hard to get that goal. But I think I heard his name mentioned all of twice in the previous 2 periods. What happened, you might ask?
1 word: Domination!
Canada's defense...
So here we are at the mid-point of the year and it's not been a pretty one for the Hurricanes.
GP W L OL P GF GA
Carolina Hurricanes 42 20 18 4 44 130 137
44 points in 42 games and a record at exactly .500 does not exactly scream champion.
Injuries seem to have hit there peak as the team is missing:
Scott Walker, Bret Hedican,...
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...
In another installment where I review the dwindling number of players remaining from a relocated franchise... today it's the [b]Hartford Whalers[/b].
[u][b]Players[/b][/u]
[b]Jean-Sebastien Giguere[/b]-ANA
[b]Bobby Holik[/b]-ATL
[b]Sami Kapanen[/b]-PHI
[b]Marek Malik[/b]-NYR
[b]Michael Nylander[/b]-WSH
[b]Nolan Pratt[/b]-BUF
[b]Chris Pronger[/b]-ANA
[b]Geoff San...
marketing:
will the NHL ever become a top 3 sport?
my answer: NO
simple reason, the United States citizens in part think of it as a foreign sport, if Sidney Crosby was a US citizen the game would gain more from the marketing of him.
Americans for the majority have never ice skated or played pick up games of hockey on ice, its totally foreign to them...whereas m...
It has been rumored for a while that Jaromir Jagr could be on the move from the Rangers. According to sources Pittsburgh was looking into #68 coming back to ride shotgun along Sid. This season JAGGS has looked dynamic at times and far more often, lost at others. One can sense that this is how fires started in Cap city with the foward coming to Broadway for Anson Carter. Ca...
There were really two events last night at the Bell Centre: the classy tribute to the Canadiens-Blackhawks rivalry, and the game between the two clubs.
Have to say I had a few goosebumps seeing a lot of the old greats, and honestly the Habs have been my second favorite team for decades. I was never a great, or a very good, hockey player. But as good as I was, part of it...
Unlike the likely telegraphed tear from Hillary Clinton just a few days ago, designed to appeal to the New Hampshire woman voter, the Isles show of vulnerability last night in the first period was NOT the same thing. There was no "plan". No play of the media. Just an absolute flat rollout as one man somehow kept them in the game.
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/DP.jpg[...
[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...
From the first shift of his first NHL game, Alex Ovechkin has been knocking people on their asses. Ask Radoslav Suchy. You know, the guy that Ovechkin checked so hard on his first shift in the NHL that Suchy went through the glass.
Ovechkin, ever since, has been a man among men in the NHL. Suchy? Well, he is playing in Switzerland, downtrodden and demoralized. Ap...
Let me begin this post by stating that I am both a Penguins fan, as well as a hockey fan. I think there are a lot of great young players in the league today.
With that, it is interesting that the media and hockey people are using the great starts of players like Lecavalier, Kovalchuk and Iginla as a reason to say they are disappointed in Crosby this year, and that he i...
-The MLSE Board is meeting in the wake of a 5-2 loss by the Leafs, with the agenda looking like change. General Manager John Ferguson jr and Head Coach Paul Maurice may both be dumped. It's staggering to see the Leafs playing so poorly.
I have to agree with the multitude of Leaf fans that have started calling for the napalm and dynamite. The Leafs have ability and can ...
Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcjvoyJDRj0
Pics
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157603706311538/
Thank you to The Flyers Fan Club for Today's road Trip it was rocking!
Thanks to my Dad and everyone who went on the trip that was so much fun.
Thanks to Julie for coming down to say hi.
I left my house @ 7am to pick up my Dad and be at th...
Like they all say, a win is a win and that's what counts. For the Philadelphia Flyers, today's win is just that: a win.
Mike Knuble scored two goals in the first period, and Mike Richards scored the eventual game winning goal on an exceptional play by Steve Downie whose come along very nicely in recent games (more on him later). Jim Dowd, and R.J. Umberger also scored f...
Evidently, Cam Barker got his wake up call prior to last night's 3-2 shootout win over Nashville. He skated hard, hit people and looked like a totally different player than he did in his sleepwalk versus Minnesota the other night.
The Hawks are still underproducing in key areas, most notably the power play, but played well enough to beat the Predators. The tradewinds ar...
In Ahead writes...
Washington Capitals - All Good Things Must Come to an End
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It has been a whirlwind week for the Washington Capitals
organization and its fans -- one which will always be remembered with
the greatest of Capitals lure. But the Philadelphia Flyers, as they
have done countless times in our 34 year history, played the spoiler as
they came to town and skated away 6-4 winners.
On a day meant for Alex to shine, it w...
In Ahead writes...
Alexander Ovechkin - Officially the Face of Our Franchise
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Capitals fans (and no doubt the team itself) have dealt with swirling rumors regarding their 22 year old superstar in recent weeks. Fans of teams around the league were concocting outlandish rumors of trades that were supposedly near fruition. We heard Nashville, Columbus, Montreal, and countless other teams were "close" to making a deal for the face of the Capitals' rebu...
Having all that I can handle with reality, I don't do fantasy. Or fantasy hockey.
On the plus side, fantasy hockey forces homer fans, loyal to their team, to actually look at other good players in the league. To do well in fantasy sports, one must, of necessity, keep up with the scores, stats, and injury reports league-wide. Of course, I am sure there are plenty of fant...
Just thought I'd see who you guys thought would best represent the "C" on the Maple Leafs with Sundin gone, either on a short-term basis, or long-term should he decide to sign elsewhere.
My Vote: McCabe.
First off, the guy is full of class. He has and always will be a symbol of the best of times in Leaf land, with his everlasting passion and love for the game. In fac...
Myself and fellow poster "61" are starting a new blog all about the Jackets! We're going to update everyday, and our stories will be relay-posted on here.
Here's the first post:
[b]WITHIN STRIKING DISTANCE[/b]
We find ourselves in a precarious position for mid-January. It’s called contention.
The Blue Jackets were embarrassed by the Canucks when they last...
[b]Since I started blogging, I have been suggesting ideas to help the Avs solve their close-to-woes this season (and next). Well, the beat goes on with a "what about this?" idea.
First, as much as I hate it, trade Liles to CAR for Commodore + pick. It would have to be a trade and sign for both teams but I put Commodore in the $2.5-3.0 range for next year (given recent m...
After a succesful homestand, the Sens are back on the road tonight to face a team that for whatever reason the Sens just cant seem to beat in the Washington Capitals. Now had you told me at the start of the year that on January 15 2008, Ottawa would be playing Washington for the 4th time and at that point of the season are 0-3 against having been out-scored 18-10 through t...
In an extremely surprising season series where the Capitals have had Eastern Conference leading Ottawa's number all year long, the Caps look to ice the cake with a broom tonight -- the proverbial season sweep.
As is the case with every game on Washington's schedule, it should not come easy, but against Ottawa (for some unexplained reason) it has. The Senators, in a scen...
According to Glen Wesley, there are approximately seven players on the Carolina Hurricanes who have not caught this apparent monster bug that has been ripping through North Carolina. Even the trainer Pete Friesen has caught this bug, which has some very strong, albeit relatively non-life threatening symptoms.
Can we contribute this to the team's poor play recently?
...
4-2 Washington over Ottawa...Sens went a stellar 0-4 against Washington this year managing to get outscored 22-12 over that span. Wow..just...WOW... im not sure if this is just a weird cosmic anomaly that has the planets and moon lined up in the right order when these 2 teams play, but as every sens fan im sure will agree with me, this isn't the team we are used to seeing ...
Yes, the Leafs won, that's not a typo. I guess John Ferguson and Paul Maurice can sleep a little sounder tonight knowing that their jobs are safe for one more day at least. The pundits will talk, sarcastically mind you, of how everything is a-ok in Leafland, and there will be thousands of Leafs fans throughout North America that will be quick to say that the Leafs are on t...
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...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Drop Fourth Straight, Inconsistency Continues
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Flames dropped their fourth in a row tonight, losing to Nashville 3-0. For the second straight game in a row, the team was outright hard to watch, as the best scoring chance the Flames got all night was a clanger in the first period by Dion. The only good part of the game was seeing Calgary product Curtis McElhinney play a fine third period in what will likely be his l...
[i]"Control, control. You must learn control!"[/i]
- Yoda
Coach Ted Nolan said words to this effect. As did words come from some players. Keep focused. Don't come home and then come out flat. Be consistent. Be ready. Obviously, they all know what this team sometimes does. Add to this, ,most road-traveled teams tend to come home and stink up the joint. And for the 11,0...
Last nights loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs should say something about this team.
It needs a change.
While I'm sure there will be plenty to jump to the Cane's side on this, suggesting they are only one or two pieces away from being a legitimate contender, and as much as I love to believe that, they're not.
It says something about the team when Sergei Samsonov is t...
Last nights loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs should say something about this team.
It needs a change.
While I'm sure there will be plenty to jump to the Cane's side on this, suggesting they are only one or two pieces away from being a legitimate contender, and as much as I love to believe that, they're not.
It says something about the team when Sergei Samsonov is t...
Well, last night I said tonight’s game was almost a must win game. You get two solid efforts at home versus two central division rivals, and have one game remaining at home (Canucks) before the all-star break. Tonight was a key win, Pazzy played good as usual. Russell is finding his form, and Methot has looked solid since he played with us last year.
Brassard’s pla...
Alexander Semin has faced more than his fair share of struggles this season. He's been criticized for his soft play and many times appeared to be in his own little world on the ice. But tonight, he was THE reason why Washington beat Ottawa, 4-2 -- finishing a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference leaders.
The Capitals, who have accounted for a third of the Sens' reg...
Alexander Semin has faced more than his fair share of struggles this season. He's been criticized for his soft play and many times appeared to be in his own little world on the ice. But tonight, he was THE reason why Washington beat Ottawa, 4-2 -- finishing a four-game sweep of the Eastern Conference leaders.
The Capitals, who have accounted for a third of the Sens' reg...
Lost in the recent gush of love and goodwill for new Hawks owner Rocky Wirtz and team president John McDonough is an undeniable, hard fact:
If the Blackhawks fail to win a Stanley Cup in the next five years, a lot of people are going to be very disappointed.
With the Bulls stuck below .500 and baby-sitting Joakim Noah, the Blackhawk franchise has the opportunity to d...
Kelekin writes...
2008-09 Off-Season: Calgary Flames (An Early Look Ahead)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It'll be an interesting off-season for the Flames this year.
To look ahead, this will be a make or break off-season in regards to whether or not the team will be able to compete in the two or three years thereafter.
Currently there is 40 million locked up towards next year's salaries, with about 10 million to spare. The question remains, what will we be able to do wi...
I don't even know if they would be able to keep frozen ice in there, but for the Montreal Canadiens' 100th Anniversary, Olympic Stadium is an ideal venue for a Regular Season game (vs. Toronto, Boston or Ottawa on New Years Day).
If you have unsuccessfully tried countless times to get some Habs tickets, you know how fast this game would sell out. They could do a couple ...
Thought this would be fun. Below I give you players that will be UFA's at the end of the season. Next to the players is a Factitious contact. Who would you sign?
Marian Hossa (5yrs - $40,000,000)
Pavol Demitra (2yrs - $8,500,000)
Brian Campbell (6yrs - $37,000,000)
Cory Stillman (3yrs - $13,000,000)
Mats Sundin (2yrs - $12,500,000)
Markus Naslund (4yrs...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
As i look on the TV and see #23 in red and white i get frustrated to think about 12 months ago when he agreed to 5.3 mill a year. It frustrates me because this team is soft. Last years was soft as well but this team is beyond soft. from the management to the players this team is a shell of what it used to be. They can beat the trap and they cant play defence. Way to many g...
With Timmy Connolly, Jarsoslav Spacek, Derek Roy, and Maxim Afinogenov still out on injuries the Sabres fall to 0-5-5 after a loss in Madison Square Garden to the Rangers. The first period seemed to be owned by the Rangers without a doubt. The boys couldn't get the puck out of their own zone. This time no one can blame Ryan Miller for the loss considering he let two int...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Beat Wild - With Habs Assistant GM Watching.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Flames snapped their four-game losing streak with an important 3-2 shootout win over the division-leading Wild. With the win, Calgary is now one point back of the Wild in the Northwest. Truth be told, they should and would be ahead of Minnesota if it weren't for a quick whistle late in the second that wiped out a Kristian Huselius goal. I don't usually criticize refs f...
I was thinking back to the post-lockout Caps and all the journeymen that made a pit stop in Washington. I decided to check up on a few of these familiar names and share my findings. So here we go:
[b]RICO FATA [/b]- The guy with the soul patch who was always flying around the ice with no particular destination in mind has moved on to Germany. Now in his se...
It would seem as though our team has remembered how good they can actually play if they put a 60 minute effort together, putting on a show tonight with a 5-1 win over the Injury and Flu bug riddled Carolina Hurricanes. This game may have been just what the Sens needed to get the confidence of some of there secondary scorers up. Antoine Vermette, I have been oh so hard on y...
In Ahead writes...
Kolzig Saves His Best for Last as Caps Move Into Third Place
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Edmonton Oilers were 11-2 in the shootout with 18 goals on 40 tries. The Washington Capitals were 0-2 and had allowed 7 goals in 14 attempts. Nothing had to give, but it did, and the Caps skated away with the victory after Olie stopped all 12 Oilers shooters and Matt Bradley scored for the first time in three career shootout tries.
The Caps' unlikely victory looked ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Stomp Kings; Potential Dilemma: Tanguay AND Huselius?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Flames stomped LA 6-1 tonight. The Flames were able to get away with Jarome Iginla not getting any points tonight, as Daymond Langkow got a hat trick and Matt Lombardi got a goal and assist. With the win and Minnesota's loss to Anaheim, the Flames now lead the Northwest by one point. However, Flames fans shouldn't get used to it, as Calgary doesn't play again until Tue...
The situation in Leaf's Nation is very interesting. The Rumour of the Toronto Maple Leafs perhaps trading captin Mats Sundin brings butterflies to every Leaf fan in Toronto. The trade was suggested by hockey expert Bob Mckenzie. The trade would be a 3 way deal. The teams involved would perhaps involve the Calgary Flames, the Montreal Canadiens and of course our very own To...
So much has been made about Calgary's cap "troubles" coming up next year, so let's actually break it down and see what contracts, and what roster spots are up for grabs next season.
Contracts in place, assuming no trades happen before the 08/09 season, not including potential extensions:
???? - ???? - Iginla (7.0)
Tanguay (5.250) - Lombardi (1.817) - ????
Moss (.5...
According to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, word around the league is that the Flyers are gaining interest in Sundin and it's speculated that Holmgren may be willing to move Jeff Carter and a 1st round pick for Mats Sundin.
My Take: At first glance, this is quite a shocker as Philly is one of the deepest teams down the middle with Briere and Richards in addition to C...
dgutzman writes...
An Honest Evaluation of the Nashville Predators Part 1
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
So as it would be, I am sitting here in Nashville celebrating the XMAS with family and while everyone is still asleep, I thought I would think about putting up a new blog about the Predators. Its been a long time since I have due a new job I took on around last XMAS. But after watching last night loss(Not even going to comment on the offense or lack of effort), I thought...
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...
Heading into tonight's game against the Blackhawks, the Sharks have put in a string of poor efforts. On a homestand that is very important in the middle of the season, the Sharks shave stubmled out of the gates. Hopefully tonight they can put it all together tonight and put in a good 60 minute effort. There have been many things missing from the Sharks' game so far on this...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
The Phaneuf Questions; Flames Learning To Win Without Iggy
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I'm sure I wasn't the only Flames fan who almost had a heart attack when they logged on to Hockeybuzz to find a Phaneuf trade rumor on the front page. I probably take Eklund's rumors more seriously than most should. I'm still pale skinned and shivering with the possibility. However, the idea of Phaneuf being traded is both more and less possible than some might think.
T...
B.D. Gallof writes...
Isles Finally Beat Carolina 6-3 and Some Defensive Talk
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Two bitter defeats and the news on Campoli had to be on their mind. This team was facing a challenge. Nolan added to this by resting [b]Rick DiPietro[/b] (more on that later). So with Dubie in goal, the Isles went to Carolina in the daunting task to notch a win against a team that beat them twice. Once was a blowout, the second a come from behind win that whitened Isle fan...
Jsaquella writes...
Campbell Must Act Harshly..But Of Course He Did Not
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Last evening, in a Rangers-Thrashers game, Ilya Kovalchuk hit Rangers defenseman Michal Rozsival from behind, into the boards, while leaving his feet. It certainly meets all the criteria Colin Campbell listed when he ruled that Steve Downie's hit on Dean McAmmond was worth a 20 game suspension.
To remind us all, Campbell said Downie's hit met the four requirements for a...
Some of us are on the verge of conceding this year as lost cause for the Sabres. If this is the case, it's time to start thinking about putting up the "For Sale" sign at the trade deadline. Here's a look at our tradable assets and potential trading partners.
Our tradable assets (and their approx remaining cap at the time of the deadline)
Maxim Afinogenov (1.3m)
Tim ...
How nice is it to be a Flyers fan nowadays? At the All-Star break last season, the Flyers were sitting with 27 points and in the midst of a January where they accumulated four points - yep, four. The O&B were well on there way to the most futile season in the franchise's history. Oh, how times have changed.
So far, 2007-2008 has seen our club return to - at th...
Hey guys. I just thought that I would bring up a real interesting topic, that may or may not be a major factor in the up coming weeks. It's as simple as this and it's called the Dion Sweepstakes. Quite frankly I feel that maybe this could be above and beyond what Calgary fans want, trading away the Top young D-man in the Leaque. I wonder what we could get in return, surly ...
My analysis of the Kolzig dilemma.
I would like to preface this by saying that I realize that he is very loyal to the organization and deserves respect for that. No one can argue that he wasn't a great goalie. He was. I also realize that many fans are attached to him, much like many fans are still attached to Bondra.
However, there comes a time when it is apparent th...
The Washington Capitals have spoiled their followers lately, instilling an expectation that they will win every game - especially against foes that have worse records. Of course this is a silly notion. But what we have seen from this team is its ability to avoid consecutive lackluster performances, giving us plenty of hope for tonight's rematch in the District.
The Caps...
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...
The core fans are the ones who buy the products, the tickets, show up to games. The perimeter fans, you have to have them, just like you have to have and develop new fans all the time, but you better take care of that core fan first.
This is why the NHL needs to get back to cold weather cities, the Core is in the north, period.
My idea is a migration of teams nort...
Conceptions around the NHL world differ on a newly implemented system – the NHL salary cap. It is a system that guarantees hope, even if it is an illusion to some, for less-talented teams that befall the lower class of the league.
The point of this experiment was too create a more competitive and intense league. So the NHL decided to bring in a system that rewards a p...
Needless to say, Ferguson has left one hell of a mess in Toronto. Currently, Toronto has about 49.8 Million dollars committed to players, with about .7 million dollars left in Cap space. However, for next season, there are 19 players signed to 44 million dollars. Assuming that the cap goes up to 53 million, we will have 9 million left to ATTEMPT to get back, Sundin, Steen,...
If you had to pick one discussion topic this season that gets hockey fans talking, it would have to be suspensions. And no, I am not referring solely to Flyers fans (although we would certainly apply). Colin Campbell has made headlines all season long in deciding how and when he chooses to dole out his form of justice. One word pops into my head when I look back on Mr. ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Get Character Win v. SJ; PHANEUF RE-SIGNING IMMINENT
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Flames won an important character game against San Jose tonight, 5-4. Not only did they beat the league's best road team at home, they also beat the second-ranked Sharks for the second straight game. Jarome Iginla remained goalless for the eighth straight game, so the Flames remedied this with a hat trick from...Owen Nolan! It was what you might call Trade Bait Night f...
The Rangers Rolled over the other night and let Carolina take the game. The officiating opened the gate for the storm and missed a boarding call on Gomez. Then the reffs called Shanny for a lazy (give me a break call) . Oh well, the Rangers should have used this as motivation and ran with it. Instead the team got small and let the speed of the Canes take over.
I...
The final minute of Washington's loss to Montreal has drawn much debate over the past two days. People (mainly in the Washington camp) are upset that the Canadiens put their top power play unit on the ice in the final minute when they were up 3-0.
This is the National Hockey League, full of professional athletes that are being paid exorbitant amounts of money to play ...
[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...
Hey pens fans,
The Pens have acquired forward David Gove from the Carolina Hurricanes for forward Joe Jensen. Gove played 45 games this season scoring 23 points for the Albany River Rats, the American AHL affiliate of the Hurricanes. Gove will report to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Jensen was originally selected by the Penguins in the eighth round of the 2003 NHL Draft. He rec...
Brock was the next big thing. A huge specimen of a man who was NCAA Wrestling champ and best in the country. He, right after college, signed a big money deal with none other than Vince McMahon's World Wresting Entertainment. He was developed, cultivated, and went up the ranks with a huge push right to the top. Brock was champ. He was physically imposing. He was a hilarious...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Put Up Pitiful Performance; Drilled By Oilers
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Cold on the heels of their close 2-1 home loss to the Stars on Saturday, the Flames got crushed 5-0 in Edmonton tonight, souring CuJo's first start with the Flames. Let me tell you, I didn't watch much of the third period (because Prison Break was on, and also the Flames were down 3-0 after two) but I can tell you that this was the absolute worst I have seen the Flames pla...
[b]Not counting Saturday's loss to Minnesota[/b] (which I refuse to blog about), it's been a quiet few days for the Blue Jackets.
The deafening silence may soon be lifted, however. The acquisition of defenseman Dick Tarnstrom from the Oilers signaled a ray of hope from GM Scott Howson, parting with an expendable asset in order to get something the Blue Jackets need- tra...
Wow after the pounding the Flames took at the hands of the Oilers, this makes me wonder if the cup dream is dissapearing in Calgary. I know it is only one game, but there is a trend when the flames face teams that out match them with speed. It seems to me that the Flames d man really struggle, stopping guys with speed. I think that Sutter should address this problem. I loo...
First things first, I love Huselius, and I think that he is infinitely talented, but I feel that the Flames are going to have to cut him loose for the benefit of the club. Surely the return would be great for Huselius, someone who many claim was robbed of an All-Star game spot, and he could be an impact player for a team that would barely sneak their way into a playoff spo...
[b]The Blue Jackets suffered yet another humiliating defeat tonight.[/b] This time, it was the red-hot Washington Capitals who rallied from 2-0 and late 3-2 deficits to win in overtime, 4-3.
Alex Ovechkin scored the overtime winner at 2:28, and added the Caps' first goal of the night. Backup Brent Johnson shook off a rough start and carried the Capitals into overtime, m...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Come Back From 3 Down, Get Huge Win Over 'Yotes
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In one of the best and most entertaining games of the year, the Flames came back from a 3-0 deficit at the start of the third period to beat the Coyotes 4-3 in the shootout. Jarome Iginla finally snapped his 10-game goalless streak in dramatic fashion, first wiring home an amazing shot from the left circle over Ilya Bryzgalov's shoulder with just 9 seconds left to tie the ...
The Montreal Canadiens are gelling right now and I see a reason why we should not get a rental player. The first reason is our team is close to 1st in the east so why mess with them. Another we will be giving way to much for rental player such as the likes of Hossa. The only reason to go for a player like that is if we have knowledge that they will sign with us and keep th...
Trotz has said it. The players have said it. The prognosticators have said. I've said it. Everyone has said it...this is playoff hockey. The Preds are in the midst of a stretch run that could be one of the most exciting in recent history.
I thought it was put rather well by Carolina Hurricane Cory Stillman in an intermission interview during the Versus broadcast on Tues...
With [b]Alexander Ovechkin[/b] soaking up the spotlight, and [b]NBC[/b] repeatedly opting out of showing [b]Penguin[/b] games to showcase other teams, how bad has [b]Sidney Crosby[/b]'s injury [i]really[/i] been for the [b]NHL[/b]?
When are [b]Sabres[/b] fans more annoying, when the team is winning or when it's losing?
What's harder to find: a fully occupied row of s...
Can anyone recall exactly why the NHL decided to shut 'er down for a season? I think it had something to do with salaries spiraling out of control, attendance in lots of markets were down and owners were losing buckets of money.
Fast forward to today.
As of Feb. 7, 2008, only 11 of the 30 teams are averaging at (or above) arena capacity this season. 10 teams are av...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Can't Break Down Bulin Wall, Lose 3-1 To Blackhawks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames lost 3-1 to the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, as Nikolai Khabibulin continued his dominance of Calgary with his 19th career win over the Flames. The Flames outshot Chicago 12-6 in the third period, but were unable to tie the game despite several close chances. With the loss, the Flames miss out on an opportunity to take the Northwest divisional lead, as Mi...
Oh, it's just another stinker from the Washington Capitals against a Southeast opponent at home when they are trying to stake their claim to the division lead.
Six days after allowing Atlanta to skate away with two points at the Verizon Center, the Capitals let the Hurricanes regain control of the division in a game eerily similar to that Thrashers loss. The Capitals ...
Enjoy.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Any comments are appreciated.
Have a great day
While not a Leaf fan, I always enjoy the talk about every single player in organized hockey wanting to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It always happens around Trade Deadline Tuesday and July 1. Of course, it hasn't been helping that the Leafs are on the bubble every year recently to get in, and likely need the boost. Anyway, the Leafs need to do some major trades this d...
mojoworld writes...
Trade this, trade that -- The Canucks won't be trading much.
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
THN has some interesting trade suggestions for the hockey world to see, but at the end of the day, I think they're still long shots. The Nagy trade suggestion for a draft pick is pretty useless. We don't have much to give up right now and it really wouldn't profit us to try and make incremental improvements right now to the team by risking more draft picks.
The Sundin...
The first big trade has happened. Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore are headed to the Ottawa, while Patrick Eaves and Joe Corvo are headed to Carolina.
This is very good trade by Bryan Murray, taking advantage of Carolina's desperation for a puck moving defenceman. He brings in two guys who know how to win in the post-season and have a wealth of playoff experience. They ...
It is very clear to me that change is needed in Calgary, in order to win a Stanley Cup. Change in Goal, no. but the rest of the team has struggled with consistency. i think we need to address the fact that we only have one true goal scorer in Iginla, the rest are hit and miss. This defence core has struggled in consistency with Sarich looking more like he is playing shinny...
[b]The past week has not been the best for the Blue Jackets[/b]. The embarrassment at home to Minnesota, the frustrating loss in OT to the Capitals, the back-to-back solid road efforts in Phoenix and San Jose…the list goes on. The latest in a string of futility was the shootout loss at home to the league-worst Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.
[b]Effort being a common deno...
Daniel Cleary was a first round pick in 1997 by the Chicago Blackhawks. The Hawks would only see 41 games from Cleary before bailing on him in a worthless trade to the Oilers. The Oilers didn’t benefit much from Cleary either as he played four seasons with the Oilers producing 35 points on season but otherwise wasn’t affective. Cleary would play one more season for a W...
There have been a great many Sundin-rumours thrown around of late, but there is one that leaves me scratching my head. Sundin to Vancouver for a package headlined by Ryan Kesler. Why Ryan Kesler? Why is he the important piece to centre a deal around? I've seen him play and he doesn't stand out to me as an impact player. When people start talking about him like he's a seri...
What I want from the Hockey Gods for the trade deadline.......nothing, yes you heard me nothing. Well let me rephrase that nothing in the name of Hossa or Jokinen with their huge price tags of higgins, plekanecs or both. Yes Hossa would be a dream but higgins is young and can be great
Higgins: 6 ft 199 lb for 3 full season (icluding this years on pace for) ...
tyler_31 writes...
Canadian T-Deadline Gameplan: Part I of IV - Calgary Flames
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the NHL trade deadline fast approaching, and Canadian hockey fans everywhere stockpiling the beer and getting the work-escape plans ready, I thought that I would analyze each Canadian teams game plan for trade deadline day, highlighting each teams needs, possible trade bait, and what players they could be targeting. Today, I will begin with the Calgary Flames. Friday:...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens were in Carolina taking on the Hurricanes. The Pens lost 4-2. Brooks Orpik scored his first goal since 2005 and Malkin had the Pens' other goal. Sabourin was in goal stopping 42 of 46. The Pens' penelty kill struggled tonight and allowed 3 goals. The Pens only had 20 shots on net, as well. It was a mediocre effort for the Pens and th...
tyler_31 writes...
Canadian T-Deadline Gameplan: Part II of IV-Edmonton Oilers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
With the NHL trade deadline fast approaching, and Canadian hockey fans everywhere stockpiling the beer and getting the work-escape plans ready, I thought that I would analyze each Canadian teams game plan for trade deadline day, highlighting each teams needs, possible trade bait, and what players they could be targeting. Yesterday, I will did the Calgary Flames (See Archiv...
So as a Leaf fan whats one to do, other than speculate on what will occur during the trade deadline? Now I've heard tons of ideas for trades, mostly ludicrous. We as fans tend to overestimate the value of some of our players, and we also tend not to realize the rest of the league knows what position were in, and thats one of weakness. So I figured I'd contribute to endless...
The Canadian Press recently reported that NBC is using the ratings for the current Sunday hockey broadcasts to determine if they wish to continue regular hockey coverage in the future.
Wonder what the ratings were yesterday? Apparently, NBC has forgotten that they used to cover the Daytona 500. Of course, in 2005 when the race left NBC and went elsewhere the ratings i...
This is not a random ranting blog about the Sharks, but more of brainstorming solutions to save the Sharks now, and in the future.
Currently there is no motivation, passion, or desire. Fan frustration continues. Alot of that is due to the fact the Sharks are not living up their expectations. The excuses were supposed to stop, but continue, and the boring, uninspired...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/islesmagic8ball.jpg[/img]
So the Isles have a streak of 4 wins going now. They finally beat the Flyers. TO has fallen. Atlanta went down in flames. The Sharks angrily lost another on the road. How quickly fortunes change in the thick of the close throng in points of the Eastern Conference.
So, step right up and see what the future ho...
Apparently, if one believes the rumors flying around HB these days, the Hawks are considering dealing RW Martin Havlat, perhaps to the Canadiens.
I believe there could be something to this rumor.
First, though incredibly skilled and one of the best forwards in the game when healthy, at $6 mil. per, Havlat has been a part-time player for the Hawks due to injuries. Fu...
Trade deadline is a week from today.
There has been so much discussion on who we (as Flames fans) want to see in a Flames jersey, who we want to see traded or let go, and what players we'd like to swap.
But what's realistic? What's practical? And, knowing Sutter's past moves, what will he likely do before the deadline?
We've heard so many rumored names coming... Sundin...
Rob McGowan writes...
Why Blake Returning to The Isles May Be a Good Thing
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I've finally decided that instead of continuously posting on the boards about the potential trade of McCabe and Blake back to Long Island, that I'll just rant and rave here for my second post in one day....yes...I sadly do not know where my priorities are...or maybe I do ;) And since my last blog had plenty to say about Bryan McCabe, this one will discuss that speedy cog, ...
SabreCrazy07 writes...
Campbell: All signs point to a one way ticket out of Buffalo
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Attention Real Estate Agents. Soupy's can will soon be ready for showing. ( Bad pun, oh well must be tired)
Lets face it Sabre fans Campbell is as good as gone. Did anyone catch his comments today after practice?[url]http://eod.liquidviewer.com/wgr-od/wgr/20080219_campbell.wma[/url] He is truly a dejected individual. He has been a roller coster of emotions for the past ...
I’m not Darryl Sutter, though, so I’m just having fun and you can read and comment all you like. Sure, most are wishful thinking and maybe even a bit far-fetched, but have fun anyway.
1) [b][i]Trade Matthew Lombardi, Anders Eriksson, Andrej Taratukhin, and 2009 #2 Draft Pick to Florida for Olli Jokinen:[/i][/b] Flames get the #1 Center they’ve been wanting for yea...
As of now the Leafs are a big mess. There are 5 players on the team with No-Trade clauses. Most of them should be traded either now for teams making a playoff run, or in the off-season at the draft. Sundin should be and probably will be traded at or before the trade deadline, pick up a developed player in the league, or two, a prospect or two, and a first, and second round...
As the trade deadline approaches there is a consensus that there are more buyers than sellers. Thus the price of return goes up, the 5th round pick you'd get for say a Yelle goes up to a 3rd round pick, who wouldn't take that deal? Some might say that a team going for the cup needs that depth to make it, they need to survive for two months of punishment and I agree. The on...
3-2 Calgary
When I decided to start trying to give the Stars a little more coverage a week ago I wondered why they don't get more coverage. I don't know if anyone reads this, and I don't really assume that this is some landmark effort to cover the Stars on a wide scale, or that it is even worthy of a large readership. The idea for this relatively small coverage ca...
One thing is clear this season, the Sabres are inconsistent. They won 2 straight after dropping a pair. They get points in 10 straight just after not winning in 11 straight. The positive and negative streaks this season are plentiful. Why did this happen, sure we can blame the losses of Drury and Briere or the loss of Teppo on the blueline. Those are valid arguments but no...
Long time lurker, first time writer.. don't be too harsh..
While many people give Bob Gainey credit for the depth of Habs prospects, I personally believe the seeds were planted during Andre Savard's tenure in Montreal. Feel free to correct me, but this is when I first feel the Habs began the slow re-stocking process.
Feel Free to enjoy this process Leaf Fans...
W...
Actually, there will be "deals" between now and February 26. And there will be red all over some of them, as in Chicago road red.
Look for the Hawks to make some moves beyond the typical "trade Zyuzin, Perreault and a box of tape to Carolina for a conditional late round pick in 2012 and the rights to Wayne van Dorp."
Look for the Hawks to potentially make some big mo...
Man, do I wish that I DID predict that the Islanders were going to win 7 in a row when I wrote, [i]7 Down to 7 Up[/i]! But what are you going to do? With my luck if I go ahead and say that "you know what" will definately happen, then they won't accomplish "you know what"....confused yet? Okay good.
[img:right]http://assets.espn.go.com/media/nhl/2004/0129/photo/a_hunter...
As the deadline seems to inch closer and closer, I seem to do the same towards Sundin.
He has been a solid player throughout the season, as he has his whole career. Easily the Leafs best player this season. Arguably, the best all-time. He has set both NHL records, as well as franchise records with the Leafs. He has averaged over a point per game throughout hi...
Apparently I should have kept my mouth shut; the Isles looking for their seventh win in a row faltered under a young and weak defense, allowing the New Jersey Devils to win their first game against us in almost a year. It honestly was only a matter of time before the Atlantic Division leading Devils recorded a win against our 5-0 season streak. It was also only a matter of...
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Erica's pics
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First THANK YOU! To all the players and their wives. This was a great event. Your time is a valuable thing and it was appreciated that you did this today.
Second shout out to all the peeps.
Brooke and Kar...
For the Canuck fans who follow them tenaciously you've most likely noticed that Alexander Burrows has been a marked man all year. There's always extra pushes and face rubs whenever he's on the ice. Cooke and Kesler are normally the agitators when it comes to trying to get temper tantrums flaring but this year it's Burrows who's the prime agitator.
Every team needs a pl...
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...
My father had a funny way of declaring how smart he was (or thought he was, depending on the situation). He would tap the side of his head and say “I knew there was a reason why I have headaches all the time.” I guess now it’s my turn, because less than a week ago, I indicated that I highly doubted Cliff Fletcher would be able to do anything of significance before ...
Well, Nonis will have another opportunity tomorrow to prove his worth. And in the last of a 3 year deal himself, he's got some proving still to do.
Nonis, like his mentor Burke, doesn't get himself pushed around, but also doesn't sit still. He wants to do a big deal. A big deal that will get him an impact player that will be here for years to come.
With so much ...
millertime writes...
Russian Roulette: Where will Brian Campbell end up?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Round and round the ball goes...where will it stop? Nobody knows!
Brian Campbell is for sure a hot commodity on the trade market. There's an interesting feeling in Buffalo right now with the whole situation...Most of all, it's the desire for RESOLUTION. The Campbell saga has plagued its ugly face on the team the last several days, especially recently as the Sabres ba...
Let's call this one:
Crazy Dale's Deadline Dealin' Madness!!! 6 hours only!!!
According to Bob MacKenzie of TSN, the Blackhawks e-mailed a list of 8 names on their roster to the entire NHL last night, saying that they were entertaining offers. The list:
Khabibulin
Lang
Havlat
Ruutu
Lapointe
Perreault
Zyuzin
Bourque
Now, first, there is no guarantee that ...
consider for a second the last draft pick from the judge huston ordeal was zach parise and then think of what that has made us fans feel. now flash forward. salvador not the greatest to play the game but a guy worth more than a cam janssen and yet this is what we got. now last year during the draft the bllues went with in the late rounds peluso instead of picking up the...
If I wasn't so disappointed in the Non-Trade of Brad Richards to Vancouver, I might actually have been happy to see Matt Cooke finally leave Vancouver.
I've been campaigning since 2004 to trade this guy, and I guess now that his contract is up, Nonis saw an opportunity to keep the useful life of this asset going by trading for a younger player.
Burrows great play of ...
So another trade deadline has come and gone, with alot more trades then was expected on my part, now we will select 3 teams that we see as winners and 3 teams that we see as losers based on todays trades not on what picks might bring you down the road.
[b][u]WINNERS[/u][/b]
[b]Dallas[/b]- The Stars picked up one of the bigger names at the deadline picking up Brad Ric...
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:...
For the first time since Al Iafrate, the Sharks have a true, #1 offensive defenseman to lead them into the playoffs. It was a great move by Sharks GM Doug Wilson to get the prize defenseman of today's trade deadline without giving up any core players. Bernier was liked in San Jose, but the consensus of Sharks fans is that it was time for Bernier to move since he hasn't r...
I'm not a Canadiens fan, far from it, but I have found myself rooting for them more and more over the past few years because they (the management and the players) seem to do hockey the right way, the traditional way, and that's the way I like it.
Ribiero's fake injury against the B's in whatever year that was is long forgotten. And the real Alexei Kovalev (remember when...
millertime writes...
To all hockey fans: Don't Feel Bad For Us Sabres Fans
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I've been hearing a lot of "sorry to hear about Campbell," "I feel for you guys," "it's got to be a tough night for you," etc. from many of my hockey buddies across North America. I'm sure other Sabres fans have heard similar sentiment.
But please, don't feel bad for us. No reason to.
Let me start by putting it this way, this day is NOTHING, NOTHING compared to tha...
Flyers quiet on Tuesday... Were in talks with Buffalo about D Brian Campbell and the Islanders about Ruslan Fedotenko, notable among other possibilities. Holmgren balked at both because the price was too high and confirmed both asked for Jeff Carter in return. Being that Holmgren kept Carter, you figure he wants to sign the kid in the summer. Campbell would have fit a s...
Note to Sabres fans: There is too much time left.
A rash of negative phone calls hit the WGR-550 AM airwaves yesterday in Buffalo as fans voiced their disapproval with how contract negotiations with D Brian Campbell were botched, forcing a trade.
It appeared that many fans were pointing the finger directly at GM Darcy Regier. This wasn't Regier's fault. This time yo...
All in can say about the Sharks performance tonight against the Blue Jackets can be summed up in one word:
WOW.
Yes the Sharks were playing a depleted Columbus team that is out of the playoff picture. But tonight's performance showed that the Sharks are definately going to stake a claim to the playoffs in a big way. Sitting in the 3rd row off the glass was a great sp...
I was having a look at the recent list of Norris trophy winners and I realized something (other than the fact new Lidstrom plaques are going to replace old ones soon). Why are there no defensive d-men? How come the men that step in front of 100 mph shots, move people out of the net, and in general go above and beyond their job, while managing to keep themselves out of the ...
[b]Following Wednesday night's loss [/b]to the San Jose Sharks, head coach Ken Hitchcock showed a rare bit of emotion and compassion for his players.
Vouching for a brief recovery following the departure of their captain and veteran Sergei Fedorov, Hitchcock made a point to right the ship quickly.
Seemingly down and out, clustered by the suffocating Vancouver "squee...
[img:left]http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/09-07/0911stars.jpg[/img]When the Dallas Stars took Tobias Stephan 34th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft, they knew what they were getting. At 6'2" 190, Stephan is a tall and skinny young goaltender who plays mainly a stay-at-home butterfly style, with some floppiness to his game. He is currently playing for the ...
Well Ottawa pulled one out last night against a depleted Pittsburg team, and ya know what? it wasnt the prettiest of wins, but ill take it right now! You can immediately see the impact of having Murray back behind the bench as the Sens have a new fire and passion in there game which had been sorely missing, the players finally seem to know there assignments and are out the...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Familiarity Breeds Contempt - Flyers' Battle to the Playoffs
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
"Vulgare proverbium est, quod nimia familiaritas parit contemptum"
[b]Familiarity breeds contempt[/b]
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/crystal_ballcopycopy.jpg?t=1204518503[/img]
It doesn't take a medium or a seance to know that coming away with points on a nightly basis during the final six weeks of regulation games is of paramount importance. The...
How many times has Naslund used this lame quote in past?
[url]http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2008/03/02/canucks_blackhawks/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily[/url]
"They wanted it more than we did," Canucks captain Markus Naslund said. "They came out hard and we didn't respond to them at all.
Alfie would not talk like this. Neith...
The Sharks had been on quite a fall, losing five straight games and tetering on the edge of playoff consideration. They were three games into a season long 8-game road trip, with Pittsburgh and Detroit on the horizon. The Sharks were aimlessly following the yellow brick road towards the playoffs, but the road was getting narrower and narrower, and the team was falling asle...
The Sharks had been on quite a fall, losing five straight games and tetering on the edge of playoff consideration. They were three games into a season long 8-game road trip, with Pittsburgh and Detroit on the horizon. The Sharks were aimlessly following the yellow brick road towards the playoffs, but the road was getting narrower and narrower, and the team was falling asle...
The NY papers are breaking news today that Sean Avery contract talks have been called off ! Are you kidding me? Those of you who still think Sean is the most overrated,worthless,blah blah, in the league can line up and watch you favorite team start bidding the summer. If you still don't think he's good, look at the Rangers record with or without Avery. The deadline mov...
It's less than a week since the trade deadline, and while the Canucks have picked up 2 of a possible 6 points, they are a disappointing 0-1-2 in that spell.
Not only that, the teams top line has gone pointless in those 3 games, and while there has been some secondary scoring, the team seems to be more apathetic as the games go by.
Even Luongo's passion has diminishe...
I remember a few years ago when Bobby Clarke splashed the water with the whole offer sheet thing, with Ryan Kesler. Little did he know what kind of message that really sent. I believe that the NHL is now in a state of rebuilding, and long gone are the days where a player could just go to the highest bidder. I am going to focus on Kesler here, because of obvious reaso...
I remember reading a blog by a SFU Student called 'The Canucks Almanac' about 5 years ago. It was my first real exposure to blogging, and I read this guys site religiously.
One argument he made related to style of play. This was at the height of the West Coast Express hey day, and watching the misery of losing year after year early in the playoffs.
The argument w...
Since the inception of the shootout after the lockout, the playoff races have never been more competitive and the parity in the league since the lockout has never been higher.
At this point in time in the season, with only about 15 games per team remaining, it's safe to say that there are 22 teams remaining with a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. And if the Edmon...
I've said it before, and now I am officially saying it. The Canucks can only make the playoffs with 96 points. History proves to be very reliable, especially in the last few years.
Last year the Canucks by this time of year were tearing up the Western Conference with a impressive 2nd half of the season. This year, well... it's not quite the same. We are strug...
Pretty Major news to hit before game time tonight. Ohlund has swelling in his left knee from bone chips.
[url]http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=231363&hubname=[/url]
This will no doubt change some of the factors of tonights big game against Nashville, only because Ohlund logs easily 25 plus minutes a game. Not to mention he is a rock on the point for the ...
The Edmonton Oilers have recalled defenceman Theo Peckham from the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis. - edmontonoilers.com
Word is Matty Roy has injured his shoulder and Smid and isnt quite ready to go. Expect to see him in the Oilers lineup tommorow against the Jackets.Theo has put up 6 goals and 10 points in 42 games along with 11...
I am just going to throw this out but do you think Carter wants to sign here. In the this past stretch where injuries have run rampant though the lineup Carter has been asked to play huge minutes in various different roles. If Richards doesn't get hurt its more then likely Carter would be relegated back to 3rd center status and get the minutes and linemates of a 3rd line c...
vancouver.canucks writes...
Tootoo: "You've got to be a man to play this game"
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20080307/tootoo_340_46857.jpg[/img]Jordin Tootoo just hit the nail right on the head, you do have to be a man to play this game. But I'm puzzled by the fact that he laid out Aaron Miller and doesn't be a "man" and stand up for his actions.
On Sunday, Matt Pettinger laid out Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks and he ge...
Xias writes...
An introduction post; Top 3 Picks to come out of the East!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
First, let me take the time to welcome anyone who happens to click on this post and give me a chance to entertain you through my blog. Although the Rangers are my favorite team and I make no attempt to hide that, my aspirations are to be an objective journalist, not a cheerleader, and I hope my writing will reflect that. Any criticism, constructive or otherwise, is both we...
In roughly one month, the blazing turbines of a rookie race -- which is unfortunately getting ignored from the media -- will cease. Let’s meet the candidates who will most likely raise some eyebrows for grasping the "Calder Trophy".
[b]Patrick Kane[/b]: The 19-year old Buffalo native debuted his NHL career with the Chicago Blackhawks. Initial expectations were that Ka...
I've seen four MTL games in person this year, 2 at the Bell Centre, one in Toronto and I happened to be in San Jose last week to watch the shoot-out that occured against the Sharks.
Here are a couple of things that come to mind when I watch this team, and even as a Leafs fan I will be objective:
1) Has Campbell given komisarek his jock back? (If you thought that wa...
I will be writing a series of blogs discussing a handful of teams whose expectations were minimal to start the season or even now; within these teams, I believe one will take home the Stanley Cup to their franchise. I am beginning with a team that was doubted from the get-go, the Montreal Canadiens.
After missing the playoffs in the 06/07 campaign, the Habs tweaked some...
Assuming that everyone's win-loss-otL-soL ratio stays the same, I took the time to calculate how many points everyone will have by the end of the season.
[b]Eastern Conference[/b]
NEW JERSEY DEVILS- 102 Points
Montreal Canadiens 100 Points
CAROLINA HURRICANES- 91 Points
Pittsburgh Penguins- 100 Points
Ottawa Senators- 97 Points
New York Rangers- 96 Points
Boston ...
The NHL playoffs race is heating up, folks. With just about twelve games remaining left for the Philadelphia Flyers, crunch time has arrived.
After a terrible month of February, in which the team went on a ten game losing streak, the Flyers have bounced back slightly and remain in the playoff picture. However, their play has become severely inconsistent, and although ...
[b]In a game that will be remembered [/b]by some for a controversial goal or a non call that led to said goal I will remember this game as an ugly night for Predators hockey.
[b]Let me explain.[/b] The Preds were, quite simply, outplayed last night by a very good Sharks team. A team that has, for the past two seasons, had our number and dialed it repeatedly. The Ron Wi...
I've been a Habs fan for 20+ years and I can't remember the last time I had goose bumps watching a regular season Montreal Canadiens game.
For those of you that missed it, out of appreciation of what the Habs are doing this year and for overtaking the Devils last night for the Eastern Conference lead, the capacity crowd at the Bell Centre last night gave the home team a...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Trouble ahead, trouble behind - Flyers & Leafs part deux
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y287/thewirewool/Grateful-Dead.jpg[/img]
Jerry and the Boys - 1971 at the Palladium
[i]Trouble ahead
Trouble behind
and you know that notion
just crossed my mind...
[/i]
[b]Trouble Behind:[/b]
Ugh. The notion that crossed my mind with about 11 minutes left in the 3rd period of last nights' Flyers/Leafs tussle in Toronto ...
DucksFan07 writes...
Ducks Lose, Dead Weight, and Carlyle Lays and Egg
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Ducks gave one away in the 3rd period last night in Phoenix. The hard part was trying to determine if they were playing "prevent defense" to hold on to the lead or if they were actually trying to win the game by playing offensively and attacking. Lately, with the total lack of scoring, it is often difficult to know which is which. Either way, they let a 2 -0 lead tu...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Fall Victim To Ovechkin's Magic, Lose 3-2 To Caps
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames were served a reminder of why it was a good thing they only faced the Washington Capitals every two years this evening, falling 3-2 thanks to two late goals, one at the tail end of the second period, the other with less than two minutes left in regulation, by the incomparable Alexander Ovechkin. After the Capitals' Viktor Kozlov had opened the scoring j...
Yes Mats is still with us in Leaf land. Yes he invoked his no trade clause at the deadline. Yes Mats Sundin will be back in the blue and white next season and yes it will be with a no trade attached to the bottom of the contract. There is no reason to believe Sundin will retire at years end with or without a playoff appearance by the blue and white express. This stea...
[b]Obviously at this time of year you want your team to win[/b] but if you are like me I am scoreboard watching like crazy! Right now I am so thankful for my Spring TREO that allows me to continually check the status of games of interest. I wonder if the people at ESPN are seeing my increased use in their bottom line numbers?
"Guys...ummmm...we had ten thousand hits on...
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...
Ok so I know I'm gonna get a lot of heat for this one. But it should get some reaction from the Blue seats. Axel has been back and forth to Broadway more than "Kristen" . His performances have been erratic and sometime they've been brilliant. Yet one thing is for sure # 27 is free again this summer. OK,Ok, so most of you want to shed salary and go after Brian Campbell...
Observermanager writes...
Quelles sont les chances: un regard sur les deux dernieres
Posted Friday | Comments 0
PS: tous les accents ont du etre enleve pour faciliter la conversion du texte, desole et merci.
Les series eliminatoires approchent a grand pas et le temps des grandes questions sur nos equipes favorites est a nos portes. L heure des predictions est arrivee et c est a ce moment qu il faut regarder l historique de nos equipes pour voir s ils ont le potentiel de se rendr...
Happy Saturday morning
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy
And the mountain spoke down to Chris Pronger . . . 8 games. Methinks he got off a bit light, but better than the big fat zero flub they made the first time round. Plus, Isles take on Montreal tonight.
[img]http://www.boredplanet.com/img/BlogBoxHeaderBanner.jpg[/img]
Chris Pronger, according to TSN, you know, the guys where they think grainy footages are non-crim...
leafs_slayer writes...
How I think the east will play out, and the meaning of life
Posted Saturday | Comments 2
Hey. Whatsup?
I'm mostly writing this blog as amusment for myself because I am sick today, and my Satelite is broken.
I'm going to predict the standings for the rest of the season, for the whole East, using my magically new-developed formula called guessing with prior knowledge.
Here we go!
Winners in bold
OT loser in italics
[b]Devils [/b]Avalanche
[b]Sa...
With most teams now around the 10-game mark before the playoffs, battles for the top spot are fierce and today's games could see a lot of shifting in the Eastern Conference standings by end of day.
The New Jersey Devils maintained their hold on first place with a 4-2 win against an injury plagued Colorado Avalanche team, in which goalie Martin Brodeur had to be sharp in...
B.D. Gallof writes...
OkposoMania Running Wild as Isles Fall to Montreal Again
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
So after another drubbing upon the Isles, the Official Isles website has 4 stories and features on Kyle Okposo, along with the China story. And nothing about the 3-0 loss to Montreal last night. The game recap is buried. If you watched the game, you watched an ineffectual offense unable to make a dent in Halak, making him look like Hasek. And despite a better effort and go...
The past couple days in the NHL have been marred by questionable coaching decisions that have cost teams games or at least made things interesting when they shouldn't have been.
Yesterday the Dallas Stars and Vancouver Canucks met in Dallas where the Stars have consistently been able to handle the Canucks behind the netminding of Marty Turco. The Stars were playing on ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
The Remarkable Northwest; The Needed Games Start Tomorrow
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ask anyone, whether it be bloggers, journalists, coaches or players, and the universal response to the question "How many points will it take to make the playoffs in the Western Conference?" would probably be 94 or 95 points. The Calgary Flames are embroiled in the tightest points race in hockey, the Northwest Division race, a remarkable logjam of a division that, if it co...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Flyers' barely hold 8th seed...and don't call me Shirley
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/flyersairplane.jpg?t=1205718259[/img]
The last week in Flyerdom has been a rough one for fans of the Orange and Black. The team has gone from solidly holding the 8th seed and possibly moving up in the playoff standings to holding on for its life by the thinnest of threads. As the season began to unravel at the hands ...
A few thoughts have crossed my mind as I look at this team from the beginning of the year to now.
First thing that sticks out is that I simply beleive the Flyers are still a year away to becoming a top team. I think they caught fire in stretches and it got all the Flyers Fans juiced up, thinking this would be the year of the Cup. Coming into this year, I simply was lo...
[b]Needing two points to keep their playoff hopes alive [/b]the Predators came up against a team that was just more hungry than they were. The Washington Capitals looked like a desperate team playing in desperate times and wanting desperately to get two points closer to the post season (did I use the word desperate enough in that sentence? ). The Preds on the other han...
Have you ever heard one of the soccer (futbol) announcers scream, "Gooooooooooooooo (take a deep breath) aaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll" after a goal? I don't care who you are. When you hear that kind of exuberance and excitement, you can't help but smile and maybe even laugh out loud with some of the same bubbly enthusiasm. Or have you ever heard R...
Willie Wilts writes...
LEAFS: Who Will Be Paid In Full Come June Draft.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the Leafs all but out of playoff contention, Interum GM Cliff Fletcher headed west to scout talent and a pair of back to backs this weekend that may force Leaf fans off the ledge, lets turn our focus to the 'rebuild'...It has been reported that GM Fletcher has "extra" money to buy-out any contracts he feels need discarded. When the term buy-out is mentioned shortly a...
Why Not ?
Who would of thought 2 months ago when the Canucks were tied for 10th place in the Western Conference that with 9 games left in the season they would be within striking distance of defending the Northwest division that they won in style last year.
Let me tell you I for sure didn't, I assumed we were doomed with Nashville and Phoenix knocking at the doo...
Sometimes it takes a loss to understand how important a player is to his team. The Capitals lost 5-0 to the Blackhawks last night. In a game where the Capitals failed to score, it was more apparent than ever how Alexander Ovechkin is the league MVP.
A week or so ago, Ek posted the "Who Would You Build Your Team Around" blog.
The options...Sidney Crosby or Alexander...
[b][i]UPDATE - [/b]The Tennessean is reporting that Dan Ellis will make the start in net tonight for the Preds. Ellis has played well against the Wings and recently was in net for the 3-1 Preds win at the Joe. [/i]
[b]I will be mobile tonight[/b] at the Preds - Wings. I have not done that yet this year and I am looking forward to doing it. Follow along online or wit...
[b]It seemed like an easy thing. After an embarrassing 3-1 loss to Minny on Monday I figured the Avs would come out of the gate flying - good rushes, hits, etc. At least there was a fight.
In a CRUCIAL game, the Avs simply did not come to play...AGAIN! They looked a lot better in the third but even then, come on. With a whopping 3 shots in the first, 7 shots in the sec...
[b]*NOTE*[/b]: I am currently writing a series of blogs discussing certain teams who I think have the best chance of winning the Cup. However, these clubs consist of teams whose expectations were low to start the season, or now, right before the playoffs. So far, I've I wrote about three of these clubs, the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Rangers and the Calgary Flames.
...
Eddie Cahill was in the stands tonight at the Flyers game, sitting 2nd row behind the benches. For those of you not familiar with Cahill, you might recognize him as Detective Flack from CSI: NY, Rachel's one-time boyfriend on Friends, or my bet would be you know him as Jim Craig from one of the best sports films of all time, Miracle.
I was able to sit next to Eddie duri...
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...
With the Canucks being so close to securing a playoff spot, I thought it would be a great chance to look back and get the juices flowing.
Please take a look at this video from Youtube. A Great Video Tribute
If anything I am pumped for the playoffs.
Alright we are getting down to crunch time. With seven games left in the season this is how it's looking.
Calgary - 3
Colorado - 2
Edmonton -1
Minnesota - 1
I know I have cursed the schedule earlier this year, for those many back-to-back-to-back games or the 5 days off stretches, but this could be the best way to finish the season. Everything is in our hand...
[b]Avs 2, Flames 0. Although the score may seem somewhat misleading, the game was much closer. Again, at the start of the game the Avs came out somewhat tentative, though I have to say our passing was much crisper tonight. I thought Calgary really set the physical tone early, especially thanks to Phaneuf. I love this guy, I really do, and I thought he was great tonight (at...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Get Win No. 40 In Style Over Canucks, Take Lead In NW
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames rebounded from an abysmal first period, a terribly soft goal, and a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 tonight at the Saddledome. With the win, Calgary takes the lead in the Northwest Division with 90 points, one more than Minnesota and four more than the Canucks and Colorado Avalanche. This was a huge win for the Flames, who go into a three...
[i]Dan Ellis has unseated Chris Mason as the teams starter. [/i]
[i][b]"I wish I could trust him."[/b][/i]
[b]That's what kept echoing in my brain[/b] last night following the superb performance by Dan Ellis last night in goal. for the second game in a row Ellis has stood on his head and led this team to victory. First it was the 2-1 shootout victory over the Bla...
fatbrendan writes...
It's been fun, but it'll be the Preds over the Oil and Nucks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
As a devout Oilers fan, let me first say that I came to terms with the Oilers not making the playoffs after they dropped 6 in a row back in December. My only hope for the rest of the season was that they would somehow find a way out of the bottom 5 to not give Anaheim a lottery pick for Penner.
Imagine my surprise over the last 4 or 5 weeks as the Oilers have amazed ev...
[i]Preds tough guy Tootoo could be marked man tonight...[/i]
[b]At this point in the season[/b] every game for the Predators carries huge playoff implications. To say we need every point we can get is a huge understatement and tonight's tilt against division rival Columbus is as big as they get.
The Preds are coming off a hard fought (literally and figuratively) 3...
Hey everybody!
I know that I haven't written in a while, but I'd like to take the time to tell you why the Hurricanes made the trade of the deadline period when they acquired Joe Corvo along with Patrick Eaves from the Ottawa Senators for Mike Commodore and Cory Stillman. As of March 28, 2008, Joe Corvo has 43 points this season. Through 51 games, he had 27 points with th...
[b]With Friday nights impressive win[/b] the Preds have climbed back into the last playoff spot in the West (Edmonton - Calgary had yet to play as of this posting late Saturday). Dan Ellis was, once again, spectacular and continues his impressive streak of hockey. He has put this team on his shoulders and is carrying them...big time! (on a bit of a side note...how about th...
Enjoy
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts
Have a great Sunday.
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Lose Heartbreaker To Oil; Winning Out Would Win NW
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I just did not have the energy to muster a blog post late last night, after the Calgary Flames' 2-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers at home. So I'll briefly summarize this huge game before detailing how it affects the Flames' division hopes. This game was, in my view, simply a heartbreaker for the Flames, who outshot, outchanced, and had more puck control for the entire game t...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Forget The Division, Flames Have To Just Get In Playoffs Now
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The aftermath of the Calgary Flames' 6-2 embarrassment at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks last night (the game itself really requires no explanation or analysis), should be as clear as day, even to the most tragically optimistic Flames fans: far from winning the division, the Flames must now, just as they did last season, focus their efforts and worries primarily on sim...
jesus the northwest is crazy - if calgary beats minny tomorrow, then THREE teams can win the division title with their last game remaining
Option 1 - CGY beats MIN, CGY beats VAN, COL Beats MIN (Calgary wins Title)
Option 2 - CGY beats MIN, CGY loses to VAN, COL Beats MIN (Colorado wins Title)
Option 3 - CGY beats MIN, CGY beats VAN, MIN beats COL (Minnesota wins Titl...
[b] My wife and I were in our basement suite busily trying to decorate the place in pro-Avs colors when in walked one of my best friends (and another buddy)... Canuck fans. With Avs jerseys, scarfs, trinkets, mugs, a blanket and two Canuck fans, the stage was set for the pivotal push for the postseason.
I sometimes have a big mouth when it comes to the Avs. Usually, at ...
Well with two games left, the Flyers are in the mix for the playoffs but have not secured a ticket yet. So what are the possibilities for this weekend. Listen I have my degree in Math, but even I won't list all the possibilities. But, here is what I know for sure.
[b]The Good[/b]
After the lost season of 2006-2007 where the Flyers were the worst team in the league, ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Wild Beat Flames To Win NW; Oilers Let Flames Into Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames' divisional hopes officially died Thursday night with a 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild, who clinch the Northwest with the win. More importantly to Calgary, though, was their failure to get the one point needed to clinch a berth in the playoffs. The Flames remain in 7th place in the West with 92 points, just one above the Nashville Predators and four abov...
Before I begin, let me start by saying this is not written in stone yet, but if the playoffs were to start with these two head-to-head, it would be the best series throughout the first round of playoff hockey. While the Capitals still require lady luck on their side, it's important to note that their chances are significantly higher considering the Flyers are going head-to...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Sharks Or Wild For Flames In Round 1, 'Hawks Do Flames Favor
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With the Calgary Flames finally having an 'x' next to their name in the standings, along with the rest of the West, I can now finally focus a blog post solely on the Flames' playoff prospects.
The Flames were aided by another spoiler team tonight, as the Blackhawks defeated Nashville 3-1 to ensure that the Predators will finish in 8th and the Flames cannot finish lower ...
Dan Carcillo is a rare commodity in hockey -- a skilled player who LOVES to get his nose dirty. I have heard on several occasions that Gretzky loves the guy, and after last night's hat-trick against Dallas (the game after he fought two Stars in the same game, dropping one with a single shot) how could you not? I'm sure the 'Yotes hope his goals:fights ratio balances out a ...
Hello, Hurricanes fans. I know you don't feel much like talking right now, so I'll keep it brief.
Missing out on the playoffs on the last day, on Washington's last game, after holding down the #3 seed for almost the entire season, has got to be extremely hard.
What makes it worse, though, is the national media attention. Every talking head from every major outlet is ...
Just a quickie - More to come later tonight...
[b]* Two consecutive shutouts[/b] against teams - Devils and Pens - few thought we could even beat - let alone hold scoreless!
[b]* Timely scoring[/b] from all lines. 7 players with 20 or more goals - only team in the NHL to do so.
[b]* Marty Biron[/b] just coming up HUGE! He threw the team on his back and * brought...
So here it is, the end of a long (or short ;)) 82 game season. If there can be one word attributed to this team throughout the entire course of the year, I think it would be "Surprises". You could, no doubt, tag them with chemistry or hard work, but surprises seems to come to the forefront no matter how you look at the season.
First one should look at the obvious when a...
A lack of class? maybe.. a lack of 'real' hockey understanding? probably.
saturday's game between the canucks and flames was not really worth mentioning. both teams were lackluster and without energy. a typical end of season game containing a dejected outsider and a relieved insider.
not worth mentioning? one of the all-time greats in Trevor Linden played what most...
Western Conference
1. Detroit vs 8. Nashville
Detroit dominated throughout the season, with a rough patch where many of their key defencemen were injured. Nashville made a comeback to clinch the final playoff spot due to clutch goaltending by Dan Ellis. The main concern for both teams will be in the net. Does Hasek have it in him? I say yes.
[b]Winner: Detroit[/b]
2. S...
I am not sure how this happened? The Caps did get hot at the end of the season and they do have a great player to watch. But now all the pundits are picking them by a surprising margin to beat Philly. I even read the Hockey News where they gave the edge in defensemen to the Caps because of Green. Now he has had a nice year, but so did Coburn and Jones for the Flyers. ...
It’s baaaaaaack! The NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are scheduled and are ready to blow hockey fans out of the ice yet again this year. Tonight at 7 p.m. the Ottawa Senators and the Pittsburgh Penguins will meet up again in first round live on Versus. Tonight starts the wall-to-wall, double-header charged NHL playoff coverage on Versus that I’ve grown to love over the pa...
The playoffs are among us so i thought I would join the train and come out with my predictions for the first round this year.
[b]Montreal (1) vs. Boston (8)[/b]
This series is extremely tough to call as I think the habs do have the upper hand talent wise but if Boston steps it up just a little bit I think they have the potential to take out the habs. What I don't th...
The NHL playoffs are always great for those who actually watch them. Even those would say that hockey is no longer one of the "4 major sports" in America would agree there is nothing quite like the Quest for the Cup.
But when talking about showcasing the league's product and consequentially helping the NHL gain market share and visibility in the long run to help the le...
Well the rest was nice, the guys with bumps and bruises had a chance to rest a bit. It has been since Sunday for the Flyers and since Saturday for the Caps. As hot as both teams have been, I am sure both coaches would have liked to start on Wednesday. The long layoff and all the press the Caps and AO are getting might work against them. They are a bunch that really ove...
McPhee's Mustache writes...
Top 10 Reasons why players with mustaches rule the world
Posted Friday | Comments 0
10- Hair on face = Proof that player has at least one testicule (most likely 2)
9- You can do cool pictures like this one:
8- You become a father figure for young people everywhere like Mike Mcphee was for me
7- You can match your mustache with a mullet to become the ultimate hockey GOD
6- The mustache can cover their your lips, making lip reading impossib...
As usual enjoy.
I would love to hear from Caps fans as it seems I am very popular with them right now.
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Have a great weekend.
Go Flyers
Zetterberg? Datsyuk? Alfredsson? No, It's Fabian Brunnstrom.
Lets not get over our heads here. Fabian Brunnstrom is a 23 year old late bloomer with a lot of potential but don't expect Brunnstrom to make the lineup with ease. He is far from ready.
Brunnstrom should be treated like a 18 year old prospect who just got drafted in the first round. Don't get me wrong, Bru...
After spending my entire afternoon at a local outdoor roller hockey rink, soaking in the playoff atmosphere of phlegm and teary eyes combined with the hint of summer break on the horizon, I decided it's time to assess what team I want to make the most out of their playoff opportunity.
In the West I have always liked the Sharks, Ducks, Stars, and Calgary. The Ducks in p...
mslepp writes...
"That Hit May Have Changed the Complexion of this Series"
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The title of this blog is a quote that came about 30 seconds after the Cory Sarich hit on Patrick Marleau.
No, it wasn't Don Cherry or Pierre McGuire or any hockey expert. It was my drunken buddy sitting next to me in the 'dome. A die-hard Oilers fan who loves hockey enough to split season tickets to the Flames with me.
I laughed, mostly because he knows that I...
The Flyers outplayed the Caps in DC for 5 of 6 periods of hockey. This shows what I was stating in earlier posts. The Flyers are deeper and more talented overall today. But this Caps team is going to be really good in a year or two. As long as the Flyers play 60 minutes, they should win this series in 6 games.
[b]Game 1[/b]
Briere, Prospal and Hartnell dominated th...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Richards Pentalty Shot Ices It - Flyers 2-1 in series
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://s228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/th_415372974_c73ef1cab6.jpg[/img]
Mike Richards scored the first playoff penalty shot goal in Franchise history and broke the back of the Washington Capitals in the process. Mr. Everything skated in, dipped his shoulder, and calmly tucked the puck in the Five Hole of Cristobal Huet to seal the fate of the Caps. Mr. Hue...
Ok will someone outside of Philly give the Flyers some credit. All I read about the series is how the Caps are not playing well. Here is a hint to the cause, the Flyers are playing very well. If not for a strange 3rd period in Game 1, this series could be 3-0 already. The Flyers are playing "Playoff Hockey". They are hitting, killing penalties and scoring on the power...
From Ed Moran. I want to make sure I point out that I did not write this piece.
"Kimo Timonen will be back in the lineup tomorrow.
The Flyers' star defenseman, who was forced out of the game in the last minutes of the second period in the Tuesday 6-3 win over Washington Capitals, said this morning, "I feel fine. I'm happy. I want to play. I want to win. Like I said. I...
I am going to rant here so take a deep breath and here we go.
I hate fans and media types that only watch the playoffs or select one play to write about. I live in the DC area and read the Washington Post daily yet there is almost no hockey coverage at all during the season. One game summary article is typical. Very little effort. But now the Caps made the playoffs s...
Gosh, it gets tedious to read the hockey reports in the [i]Sporting News[/i]. The title of a current epistle is [i]Ovechkin falling flat in playoff debut.[/i]
Are we watching the same games? Are we reading the same stat sheets? Do the Flyers get no credit for executing well?
Frankly, this type of reportage is more an indictment of the flawed mentality prevailing in ...
So is anyone else thinking Curtis Joseph has a chance to start tonights game for Calgary or does Kipper get the start again? Honestly I think Iron Mike will go with Kipper but how can you not give a chance to Cujo when he deffinatly made the impact of game 4 to let Calgary come back and even the series? What does everyone think? Give Cujo a chance or start Kipper?
Inside the Owner's Box: In need of divine assistance
Yahoo! Buzz Digg Newsvine Reddit FacebookWhat's this?By Ted Leonsis for USA TODAY
Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis, who made a name for himself as an executive with AOL, is sending USA TODAY his playoff journal as the Capitals begin their postseason run with a series against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Day 8: Th...
Ok here is Ted's Blog in its entirety for today
[quote]Day 9: Friday, April 18
What a game— a tough OT loss
We arrive at the arena at 5:30 p.m. We mingled with the crowd and then take our seats in the same suite as last game. I note that the fans that were in our face last game are nowhere to be seen this game. And that the Wachovia Center is not playing fight v...
Today the Philadelphia Flyers organization must face the consequences of poking fun at an article that poked fun at their organization. In short the Washington Post is accusing the Philadelphia of Copywrite infringement for passing out a copy of Mike Wise's fan-bashing article. The article was distrubted to fans as the entere the Wachovia center, along with thunder stic...
Wow. That was playoff hockey. I watched the game live, then re-watched most off Tivo because I was way too amped up to sleep. That was what I expected from Washington the entire series. I guess the inexperience took them a few games to adjust.
Carter was a beast. Hard to believe that all the offense his group put up while checking Ovechkin. AO got some points, but...
Happy Saturday Morning
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Enjoy as usual
Go Flyers
The Capitals won Game 5, hats off to them. They were hungrier then the Flyers more often then not. Game 6 will be Monday night.
Thoughts...
Did Ovie recieve a memo from Sidney to tell him to dive more? For a player will awesome talent its a shame he now has to resort to diving. It takes away from his game and respect all the other players have for him.
Eve...
Just returned from the Verizon Center for Game 5 Flyers at Caps. I have some problems with the way people treat other fans at sporting events. I grew up in Philadelphia and have watched the Flyers, Phillies and Eagles since I was 5 years old in 1970. I am a lifetime fan and have watched all these teams through thick and thin.
I went to the game today in DC and watch...
The following is my first attempt at a blog. It is a response to an email from a friend of mine, a Senators fan (www.hockeyschlock.wordpress.com - please visit), who asked me how I was enjoying the rollercoaster ride that was the Flys/Caps QF series following the Game 5 loss to the Caps, bringing the series to a Flyers' lead of 3 games to 2. I'm not happy, but I'm not cr...
I think one of the most interesting things to me this year is how much trash people will leave on message boards under various sports site articles. Mostly because their ideas are one-sided and often presented in an abusive matter.
Here it goes:
~ Pens fans...Sidney Crsoby is definately a talented guy, no one will argue you that. The reason no other teams will resp...
With the hamstring injury to Mike Knuble, the Flyers' office has told me for sure Riley Cote will be back in the line-up tonight for Game 6 of the Flyers/Caps series.
I wouldn't expect much ice-time from Cote, and I'm sure John Stevens will instruct him NOT to instigate things with Brashear or anyone else on the Caps in order to avoid a fight, penalty or anything else w...
Wow what a letdown tonight was. For the first 30 minutes the Flyers did everything right. Attack, defend, and goaltending. Then quickly the collapse happened. There was no passion in the last half of the game. The Caps beat the Flyers to every puck and out worked them all over the rink.
Now the Flyers face back to back nights, a situation where Biron has played poo...
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Wall_clock.jpg/300px-Wall_clock.jpg[/img]
86,400 ticks of the clock before I can breathe again...
86,400 muttered curses as the clock marched mercilessly on...86,400 hopes against hope that a squibber, a deflection off a shin, a seeing eye five holer might turn the tide. Eighty six thousand, four hundred ...
[b]Let's get the bad out of the way:[/b]
Biron: 0-5, 5.95GAA, .822 save % on the 2nd day when playing back to back days this year (by comparison, Huet over the last 2 years in the same situation is 1-4, 3.33 GAA, .904 save%)
The Flyers are 6-6 all-time in Game 7s (all rounds), and for those around before all NHL series were best of 7 the Flyers are also 1-0 in game 3 ...
Tonight one of the hottest two teams in the East will be eliminated for sure. The Flyers have failed to bury the Caps in the last two games. The Caps have shown alot of character and fight by outhitting the Flyers in Game 5 and then pulling a great comeback in Game 6 to extend the series.
The Flyers must get back to basics. I know it is a cliche, but it is true. Whe...
I gotta say. I've tried to be relatively fair with my opinion of officiating in this series. Despite calls for "the fix" by ESPN, I tried to believe that things would work out somewhete fairly. There was definately time where the games went in the Flyers direction and we took advantage of it. However, I ahd a serious problem with Scottie Upshall's "diving" penalty las...
There is nothing better than a game 7 in the National Hockey League playoffs. It doesn't matter who's playing. I could barely wait until 5pm MTN yesterday for the Habs/Bruins to start and then listening to that crowd and U2 belting out in the background... how could you not be pumped. I'll start with some tidbits from the other series before I touch on the game 7's.
...
The Penguins clinched their series with the Ottawa Senators early with a sweep.
There hasn't been a Penguins game in an entire week.
All this "down" time has me watching the other series wrap up (GO CAPS and FLAMES in your game 7's) and waiting anxiously for our Round 2 opponent!
It also gave me a chance to catch up on what the Pittsburgh Pirates doing these day...
I must have missed that other mid-playoff presser the NHL held changing the rules. You know, the one where thy told the refs to not call interference. This Caps-Flyers game 7 is a joke. It's one thing to let the players decide the outcome of the game. It's another to let guys start plowing opponents into their goaltender and check guys without the puck. Someone let me...
millertime writes...
Hillary, Philly beat Washington; 2nd Round East Preview
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I don't mean for politics to enter a hockey website, but did anyone else see the irony in tonight's events?
7 minutes after the Flyers beat the Caps in Overtime, Hillary Clinton - who is fighting for a change in the highest office in D.C. - could be seen on CNN addressing supporters in Philadelphia.
That group Hillary addressed was a rambunctious bunch. I counted at...
What a way to end the series. Lupul who was the only forward that scored for the Flyers all season and didn't have a goal all series long. He looked lost. So tonight he played mostly with Briere and Prospal and saw time on the 1st powerplay unit. The move paid off in the first OT with Lupul tucking in the rebound on the powerplay to win the series.
As a Flyers fan, ...
I want to start off by saying that this Washington team is going to be a force to reckon with for years to come. The combination of Semin and AO is going to be lethal for several years and the young nucleus around them is only going to get better. Just like the Flyers, from where Washington was last year just getting to game 7 in the first round of the playoffs is a great ...
"...The shot from the point by Timmonen...rebound...THEY SCORE...jOFFREY LUPUL!!! AND THE FLYERS HAVE WON IN OVERTIME IN GAME 7!!! They're going to the next round..."
Thank you Jim Jackson. Thank you Joffrey Lupul.
Thank you Hockey Gods.
What a ridiculously suspenseful game. I laughed. I threw stuff at my TV. I yelled at the refs. And I definately jumped ...
I'm still waiting to read about how the Washington fans chose to turn their ice rink into a giant trash can. Plus, did anyone see Jeff Carter get hit in the head by some type of cup?
What I also can't wait to read or not read is too see if Mike Wise, or the other beat writers for the Caps even mention it.
Plus, we also know about the diary Big Ted keeps on USA tod...
You can fill in the blank with alot of names :
~Briere
~Prospal
~Richards
~Lupul
~Kapanen
~Ushall
~Carter
~Umberger
~Knuble
~Hartnell
~Hatcher
...impressive...
Well, it's probably the most cliche blog a hockey fan can possibly write, but here are my round two predictions!
[b]Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers[/b]
Both teams are coming off 7 game series, but the Habs have had an extra day off and have home ice advantage. The Flyers will be playing 3 games in 4 nights. The Habs should take games 1 and 2, but I expect t...
John Stevens will go with the exact same line-up for tonight's game 1 in Montreal as he had for Game 7 in Washington...
That means Downie is still in and the defense will remain the same as well (Smith, Modry all the usual suspects)
I am so excited to watch the 2nd round. I have a feeling that the Flyers are playing with house money now. Getting into the playoffs and winning a round was a realistic goal for this squad after last season. The rebuild job left over 1/2 the team with new faces and making the playoffs made it a total success.
Montreal overachieved all year. They were not picked to...
Defeat snatched from the jaws of victory as the refs blew their second Alexi Kovalev related call.
The goal he swatted in was clearly above the crossbar, as his stick hit the crossbar on the follow through. I cannot imagine how the refs missed that one? It was a hell of a play, but illegal nonetheless.
The second, and much worse call, was on Mike Richards for kne...
First this is hockey. Calls are made in a split second at real time speed. The penalty on Richards was a clean hit, but the referee was behind Richards, which when seen from that angle, did look like a trip or knee. So that is not what caused the Flyers to lose Game 1. This is no different than the ref losing site of the puck during a goal mouth scramble.
The Canadi...
Marty...Marty...Marty...Marty. Biron outplayed Price tonight. One guy looked a little timid and one guy was dominate. I don't really want to hear any more about Biron not being a number 1 goalie. He has proven that he is one. Umberger, Carter, and Upshall dominated the play when on ice tonight. They were all over the place with offensive pressure and great defensive...
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=236048&lid=sublink05&lpos=headlines_main
When did Carbonneau become such an angel? Regardless of the situation when you hit someone from behind even if it's from taunting or anything else its a cowardly act. There is always the next shift that you can legally hit the person. Plus, do you really think the league would actually sus...
[img]http://acdc.com/bin/galImg/siteFiles/35bff89a78.[/img]
I cannot hear those words without thinking of one of the most influential bands to hit the music scene in the mid-1970s and power their way through the mid-1980s with a high voltage mixture of the power vocals of Malcom Young and the screaming guitar intensity of brother, Angus Young. In my mind's eye when I t...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
FLYERS Hold on for 3-2 victory - Game 4 to be a War!
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/MainImage.jpg?t=1209430739[/img]
EE should suit up because his boys need something. Flyers lead 3-0 end of two. Just amazing how pumped the Bank Building is. It might be the loudest I have heard it - and this is from the VS feed. I am sure it is just deafening in person - JS, #23, EE - please comment on it. The Join...
Great game. Flyers outplayed the Habs for the 45 minutes of the game. Then the penalty on Hatcher gave the Habs life. I thought the call was correct on Hatcher but there should have been on Boullion for hitting Umberger on the knee/thigh with his hip prior to the hit OR fighting with Hatcher after the hit. It should have been 5 on Hatcher and 2 on Boullion.
Once agai...
Thank god for DVR...because I got to see all of the important stuff...
Let me just start off by saying I'm sick of hearing that the flyers are dirty. At the beginning of the season a couple players made some bad decisions. It cost us big time. Game over. We did our time. It's the end, and I don't want to hear about it anymore b/c it's irrelevent. The Flyers are ...
It's funny how Karma works in sports. For almost two season Glen Sather has had a love affair with Brooks Orpik and Ryan Malone.(two free agents) There were a few times when Slats almost pulled the trigger to bring the nasty D-man and the tuff power forward to NY for Petr Prucha plus.http://www2.sportsnet.ca/blogs/hockey_hearsay/2007/01/14/changes_coming_for_rangers/ I...
flyersfan_92 writes...
Since when has it become funny to use Hitler in a Video
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I find the Hitler likes the Flyers video to be offensive and ignorant. How can this kind of crap really be out there? The man was a monster who sent millions to thier death and killed millions more in an attempt to rule the world.
Then to use this imagery to portray a hockey teams management and fans. Maybe this is Ok to do in Quebec but i find it offensive and unneces...
The Habs are pressing the PANIC BUTTON - Price on the bench tonight.
[b]Gamesmanship[/b]
Guy Carbonneau is really trying to get into the Flyers heads. After game 2 it was "Timonen deserved to get sucker punched for taunting" and now after game 3 he won't say who is in goal for game 4. I think that this game is really ineffective since the the trade of Huet to Washingt...
[img]http://www.freefoto.com/images/33/15/33_15_69---Fire-Flame-Textures_web.jpg?&k=Fire+%2F+Flame+Textures[/img]
If you can't stand the heat...
[img]http://www.chfans.com/photos/junior/Carey%20Price_camp.jpg[/img]
Carey Price looks like he will start tonight for Les Habitants. Honestly, that is just fine for most Flyers fans, since it appears throughout the first ...
Phigment writes...
Flyers vs Habs - Game 4 - Flyers win - Lead series 3-1
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]1st Period:[/b]
Panic button pressed by Carbonneau. Going away from Price could be very bad for the Habs. It shows no confidence. What if Halak stinks? Can you go back to Price with confidence?
WTF was that call on Richards? Briere is horsecollared and no call - but a boarding call when the guy doesn't hit the boards? Are you kidding me?? People say there is...
sm623181 writes...
Flyers/Habs Game 4...The Flyers' Power Play is back..
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
...what a game! I must admit after Mike Richards' "boarding" call where the guy didn't even hit the boards...and Kukkonen's penalty for pushing players away from Biron...I was a little bit worried that we were headed down penalty road for a repeat of last game's parade to the penalty box...
The Flyer's killed them off though...and despite their obvious frustration with...
Growing up I was addicted to those 60's & 70's Scooby Doo cartoons. The Villains would almost always turn out to be the resident good guy in the episode. At the end the crew would pull the mask off to find out that this good guy was the evil character all along. How fitting, because at the end of last nights Rangers/Penguins game we found out that the possible MVP Malk...
Carbonneau isn't the only person showing no respect to the Flyers. The Capitals, the NHL media, and most fans have downed the way the team plays. The Flyers are a team that will allow you to possess the puck in their end on the perimeter. They will even let you shoot, however when they are on their game, you cannot bring the puck into the slot area without severe punish...
Congratulations to the Montreal Canadiens and their fans. You are among the classiest organizations and fans in all of sports! I love that the fans did not boo its team and gave them the heroic but painful send off they deserved - they left nothing on the ice and played with incredible heart.
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/a8/fullj.7e7e4d0a099996c6174fcdf3f1c083a...
[b]1st Period[/b]
That was a good period. Some random notes.
*Fans are starting to boo Richards now too. They should be booing Umberger! Price made a great save on a 2 on 1 versus Richards.
*Nice tip-in on the Powerplay. Montreal 1-0
*Montreal is playing physically for the first time in the series. They are hitting consistently and taking the puck between the circ...
[code]
[/code] Huet
[code]
[/code] Price
[code]
[/code] Fleury
After the usual gratuitous 2 Habs pp goals donated on bad calls by the refs (seemed like every game this series), the Flyers took the bull by the horns in game 5 and just plain embarassed the #1 top ranked team of the big bad East.
This was a very sweet 6-4 elimination victory against a legacy hockey...
Congratulations to the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings for reaching their respective conference finals.
-The job that Flyers coach John Stevens has done in the playoffs is nothing short of spectacular. The guy had a team that was supposed to be road kill in round one and navigated it past two teams whose coaches were finalists for the Jack Adams. Since a 39 p...
This is an open letter to ask the "loyal" fans of the Montreal Canadiens.
How can you fans be confident with Carey Price proclaimed as the future of this storied franchise? Carey was shaky at best in this series. His lack of confidence was shattered that much more by the decision of Jack Adam's Award finalist Guy Carbonneau, to bench him for the service of Halak in ...
This is an open letter to ask the "loyal" fans of the Montreal Canadiens.
How can you fans be confident with Carey Price proclaimed as the future of this storied franchise? Carey was shaky at best in this series. His lack of confidence was shattered that much more by the decision of Jack Adam's Award finalist Guy Carbonneau, to bench him for the service of Halak in game...
...so the results are in...it's the Flyers vs. the Pens....
...I was pretty thrilled with the Flyers come back last night...very impressive. I think what has been most impressive about these playoffs is the fact that there has been suck a balanced effort for our Flyers. There is only one forward that has played on a regular basis that hasn't scored (Thoresen). Tha...
It almost seems that every year there is that one team that no one expects to make out of the first round but somehow manages to carry the "Cinderella" title all the way to the Cup finals, and I think we may be seeing that with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Two years ago we saw the Edmonton Oilers accomplish this task; finishing in 8th place in the West at the end of the reg...
It's still early in the Rangers off season,but never too early to explore off season options. This is a quick post just on some forwards the Rangers could take a run at.
1) Ryan Malone- Not only could the Rangers bring him in but he could also apologize to Chris Drury for costing them the series. He's a hell of a young player with good hands and hulking si...
Good thing I didn't write this last night as I had planned... because the loss of Kimmo Timmonen certainly could have that much of an impact.
Was the layoff between the series a bad thing?
I really don't think so. Sure the Flyers were on a roll, but so were the Penguins. And with guys like Hatcher, Smith and others who are older and dinged up as virtually everyone ...
Olaf Kolzig has called it quits for the Washington Capitals, being that Kolzig did play a few years for Tri-City, and that Montreal Canadiens goalie Carey Price played for them as well, would the two work good together?
Consider this, Bob Gainey ( general manager for the Habs ) has what one might call an issue with his goal-tenders, Carey Price is the no.1, but Jaroslav...
The Maple Leafs and Canucks got an early jump on the off-season. Some thoughts:
-Toronto did the right thing in firing Paul Maurice. It gives him the whole summer to find a new job, and it also gives the new GM a free hand to name his own bench boss. It appears as if they Leafs will have that new GM in place before the draft. Obviously Dave Nonis is a candidate, but I'd...
With the off-season about to start for the Montreal Canadiens, putting rumours aside of course, there are a couple of players that wouldn't bust the bank, but might pay great dividends in the end.
One of those players is 6'5", 225 pound Paul Gaustad of the Buffalo Sabres. First off Gaustad is big, secondly he's a centre that can position himself in front of the net. Gau...
This is a follow up to an early blog this season. I am still waiting to see if any fans are ready to put together the petition to bring back #16. If Sather lets Sean Avery walk, Aves will have no problem getting big market clubs to take him on.
Toronto- The hometown kid can not only replace #16 but put on Tuckers jersey as well. Avery could provide the leafs with...
Why Not Us!!!
It’s a great line. Plus, I think its very fitting for this team. From last year to this year one can not argue that its one of the biggest turnarounds in professional sports. Holmgren did a fabulous job revamping the roster and the Flyers for the first time in several years have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Now, we see our beloved team...
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...
It was the X-mas of 91-92 I was 12 years old and already bleeding Red,White,and Blue. Having started watching Ranger games with the names of Kisio,Mallette,Turcotte,Beezer,Jonnie "O",and Mullen in the mix. There was Domi and "Knuckles" Nylan fading out his career,while a fresh kid from team USA named Mike Richter was knocking on the door of greatness. In 89-90 Neil Smi...
I noticed recently that someone posted a blog about the problems Versus has as a TV production, and I was going to simply comment on his blog, but I figured this is info that many people here might be interested in, so why not share it with anyone who cares.
The problem expressed about Versus was that their camera work is shot too tight, and moves too much, which does n...
Canada, remember when you would check your rear-view mirrors and you would see the rest of the world well behind? Well check again because they're not there anymore, I would check beside you in your blind spots because they all caught up.
Canada loves to boast about its superior hockey talent, and historically it has been just that. The NHL over history has been domin...
VENGEANCE [i]{has to wait for}[/i] NOW!
This year the Flyers went through a lot. They started came out hot and went on a 6-1 tear, and from there on the team was very inconsistent. Injuries to [b]Simon Gagne[/b], [b]Mike Richards[/b], [b]Joffrey Lupul[/b], [b]Scottie Upshall[/b], and [b]RJ Umberger[/b] cost this team some scoring punch, and coupled with the teams inco...
Join myself and the Wingnut (hockeybuzz blogger redavi9) for hockey talk. We will be discussing the Stanley Cup Finals, Colorado's new coach, if the Rangers want Jaromir Jagr, and Mats Sundin's tough decision. All of that and more at 5:30 PM today on talkshoe.
http://www.talkshoe.com/tc/19975 or call in at 724-444-7444 call #19975
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...
After watching Sundin accept the Messier Award yesterday,I couldn't help but realize why the Rangers aren't mentioned in the " Mats sweepstakes". They will lose a few vets in Shannahan and possibly Straka. Malik and Mara could walk and the cap will increase. After reaping the rewards of the first award recipient ( Shanny) ,maybe the Rangers should follow up with the seco...
If you haven't heard yet, there is talk on the wires about Campbell looking likely to sign in SJ (And this isn't just coming from Eklund, there are reports on many different feeds about this). A recent article in the Ottawa Sun looks a little deeper into the possible transactions between the two teams. It's been known for a while now that the Senators GM has had an interes...
It's no secret that the Leafs contain a very limited number of promising prospects. However, it wasn't long ago that Alexander Steen and Kyle Wellwood were compared to the Flyers' young duo in Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. Three years into their respective NHL careers, the Leafs youngsters find themselves on the backburner after promising seasons.
While the difference ...
http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/gallery/featured/GAL1139082/1/index.htm?bcnn=yes
enjoy!!!
Although I bleed Red,White,and Blue for my Rangers, the game of hockey always comes first. My dedication to the game and love for the sport continues to grow as I get older.But being a goaltender, I gain more and more respect for the warriors in the mask. Their helmets and equipment are not just an obsession but their own personal styles and techniques are an art with in ...
The Rangers have the following picks this year:
Round 1: #20
Round 2: #51
Round 3: #75, #81
Round 5: #142
Round 7: #202
The picks from rounds 4 and 6 belong to St. Louis (Backman deal), Los Angeles (Avery deal) and Dallas (Mike Green deal).
I've seen all kinds of ranking sites, so this is a bit overwhelming, but let's see who's available in this draft:
[b]N...
I sit here, nursing a bottle of Stella Artois, watching the Belmont, and realize...I wish I had a hockey game to watch.
-A lot of coaching vacancies might be waiting on the approval of the sale of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Rumor pipe says Barry Melrose will be hired for a staggering $2mm a year. If a guy who hasn't coached in almost 13 years can demand that kind of coin...
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 “...
Just spoke to someone close to the Carter negotiations...
Contrary to rumors out today, the deal is NOT finalized yet, however they are close.
"Jeff's first priority is to stay with the Flyers," I was told.
Both sides are apparently working hard to getting a deal done before Carter would be eligible to receive offers from other teams on July 1st and I hear that we...
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/eternalyashin.jpg[/img]
(Our hopes, dreams and our future fortunes are only possible if we forget our past. )
Let me all welcome you to the crossroads. The crossroads of where there is two different paths. One path is some hype and hopes, but likely mediocrity. The other is a tougher road ...
A source [Who is a friend] not to be named out of Boston has emailed this to me:
[quote]Hey [My real Name will not be shown],
I was working last night at the bar, and one of the Bruins walked in!
He was only there for about a half hour but the media that followed stayed longer.
I was talking to one of the media members, and he said he heard a rumor that would send Ke...
http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080617.canucks18/GSStory/GlobeSportsHockey/home
[quote][b]Gillis also hinted that players from Russia, who may be difficult to lure to North America, probably won't figure into Vancouver's plans.[/b][/quote]
Gillis is thinking that Russians who are hard to lure to North America wont fit, now this does not rule out all ...
Team1040 radio out of Vancouver is reporting that a source in Ottawa is sayin Malkin to L.A for 2nd overall pick and Cammilari.
Why is this canucks rated? Malkin+Kopitar=Force.
Before I get started with what to and not to expect this evening on Draft Day, I feel there are a few hot topics that should be addressed (and I know I'm a little late on these).
First off....Alexei Yashin. It's been causing massive hysteria on our island to think that our so-called youth movement may be quarterbacked on the frail shoulders of our former captain that w...
Oh boy, Rumors Rumors Rumors!
What will we hear today at 4:00Pm Pacific?
The Canucks Have Drafted Kyle Beach.
The Canucks Have Traded the 10th pick and and player for the number 2 pick.
The Canucks Have Sent Ryan Kesler and the 10th pick for Olli Jokinen.
I am expecting the Canucks to take Kyle Beach, and [b][u][i]NOT[/i][/u][/b] make any [b][u][i]big[/i][/u][/b...
I did a bit of number crunching last evening. The Flyers face an interesting cap situation following day one of the NHL draft. Here's how things stand and what could happen next.
Cap hit currently stands at: $50,792,000
Players accounted for: Briere, Richards, Gagne, Hartnell, Knuble, Lupul, Upshall, Giroux, Downie, Timonen, Hatcher, Rathje, Coburn, Parent, Kukkonen,...
amidst tundra writes...
Stop the Moralizing: Why Fighting is a part of the game
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[i]Fighting in the NHL remains one of the most staunchly debated subjects in the world of the hockey and yet the argument barely divides supporters down the middle. Far from a modern topic, the recent incident with Patrick Roy’s son Jonathon has quickly risen fighting back to its usual grandstanded place. Now I’m not here to endorse stupidity like Roy’s kid or fighti...
So the draft is officially over and we know the names of the players we acquired:
Justin Daniels (3rd round)
Samuel Groulx (4th round)
Harri Sateri (4th round)
Julien Demers (5th round)
Tommy Wingels (6th round)
Jason Demers (7th round)
Drew Daniels (7th round)
Interesting notes on a couple of the guys we picked up: Apparently we acquired a set of twins in the ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Get Cammalleri, Dump Tanguay: Post Draft Thoughts
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Perhaps I underestimated Darryl Sutter. Minutes after he managed to get a 1st round (AND 2nd round, as I found out later) pick for disgruntled cap eater Alex Tanguay, Gord Miller reported as the Lightning prepared to take Steven Stamkos that there had already been a trade. I assumed he was confirming the Tanguay deal, but no, it was another trade with Calgary at the center...
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/islanders/images/upload/2008/04/draft2008n.jpg[/img]
[i]Hi to every Habs and hockey fans who are taking time to read this blog! I hope you enjoyed the draft, as much as I enjoyed it! [/i]
Ok, the introduction had been done so, this is the time to talk about serious things. Before the 2008 entry draft, Montreal Canadiens GM Bob Gainey told the ...
The Flyers picked up young NHL D man, Steve Eminger in a draft day trade with Washington.
[img]http://dcpages.com/gallery/d/33188-4/16_copy.jpg[/img]
The Flyers paid a significant price in giving over a first rounder, the 27th overall pick, to the Caps for the 24 year old, but they did also get a 3rd round pick from them as well.
Though originally drafted a...
You can get banned on here for talking about Eklund's foreskin, weird.
Just a follow up to the last blog, you actually CAN get banned for mentioning Eklund's disgusting foreskin.
To be honest, i'm just reporting the truth, something Eklund fails to ever do. What is wrong with this world, people speak the truth and get banned, while a fat greasy bastard bullshits every single day and get peoples hopes up thinking their favourite hockey tea...
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 ...
Part 2 of my outlook on the Calgary Flames off-season looking ahead to 08-09...
Sure enough, Daryl Sutter's quiet demeanor leading up to the draft was exactly what I thought it was... he was gearing up for a major deal.
As I pointed out in my pre-draft blog, the Flames are going to be up against the cap in a major way this year and desperately need to shed some sala...
[img]http://img519.imageshack.us/img519/12/blogtd5.png[/img]
[i]Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying summer, your favorite team's draft picks and the most recent news in the wonderful world of hockey. Enough talk,let's go down into serious business...[/i]
Five days. This is the time remaining before the first of July, the starting moment of free agency signings. Per...
If there is one time of year when the NHL becomes a platform for stories of profound personal interest, the Entry Draft is that time. From the inspirational, brave and underdog style champion of the world tales to the heart warming and outright tragic, the Entry Draft is a narrative that runs a full gamut of emotions. Yet beyond the glitz of those first five or ten picks, ...
As usual enjoy or hate but as always thanks for reading.
http://flyerflies.com/blog/
Have a great weekend.
So now that all the leaf fans have finally accepting a rebuilding project we should do it right because this is a rare occurrence and it is unlikely that we will get this opportunity in the near future. I'd like to say I agree with most of Fletcher's moves so far. He has added grit and it is pretty obvious the prototypical hockey player he is looking for. Yes Wellwood...
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...
Nobody has discussed this so far, but it seems pretty obvious that with Sundin in doubt, Tucker gone and McCabe on thin ice, the Leafs will be looking for a new captain - very likely from the free agent ranks or a trade.
So with this in mind, I think the Leafs will have a close eye on these players in free agency.
(1) Brendan Shanahan - Might be willing to sign sho...
Over the last few years the Rangers have made excellent moves in signing veterans.They signed Shanahan and his leadership had proved to be key in the development of the forwards. Shanny also took some of the pressure of Jagr in the locker room,allowing Jagr to concentrate on his Einstein books. The Rangers brought Jason Strudwick back in to the fold last year and his o...
Sundin 20 mil 2 years
Crazy.
Id love to see it, but hes going to hold out till August.
Quite frankly short but sweet
as a Canuck Fan...Im Scared for what the team will look like this coming season
- Chad
When GM Mike Gillis was hired not more than two months ago, I felt a sigh of relif. Not a lot of Canuck fans have filled the bandwagon here on the left coast, however, Gillis promised "bold" moves and yesterday he delivered a "bold" move.
WOW a GM in Vancouver sticking to his guns. For several years here we constantly heard "we were close"; "we almost had him" or "the ...
Ron Guillet writes...
Cliff Fletcher Gets My Applause -- And McCabe's Future
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
While fans around the NHL point and laugh at the US$14-million, four-year deal given to defenseman Jeff Finger, Cliff Fletcher is following a blueprint to ensure the Leafs a more promising future.
Let's start with the player that is discussed the most, Jeff Finger. An almost unknown commodity around the NHL, he's somewhat of an underrated player when you take a look at ...
[u][b]NOUS DEMENAGEONS !!!
http://www.alnh.tk/
Nous voulions un site plus complet que ce simple blog, je vous donne rendez-vous !
http://www.alnh.tk/
[/b][/u]
[i]*Veuillez notez que les mises a jour sont administrer par Marc-Antoine Perrault et Etienne Jolette.[/i]
[i]NB: les accents de fonctionnent pas[/i]
[u][b]Rumeurs[/b][/u]
-Ilya Nikulin est ...
AtLossForWords writes...
Has Gillis Made it a Summer to Forget Already?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
As of July 3rd, Mike Gillis and his Vancouver Canucks seem to have failed to make their team better when they have had so much cap space to spend. The Canucks have lost their captain Markus Naslund to the New York Rangers, which in the eyes of many means they have lost out on Mats Sundin and Pavol Demitra as well.
The Canucks did not go without making an addition to ...
Here's what Pat Brisson, Rob Blake's agent, had to say tonight about the way things went down between Blake and the Kings. It's lengthy, but if you've been following the saga today, you might find it to be a good read. As I told Pat tonight, all I'm trying to get is get the information out there. People can make up their minds based upon what they believe and read.
What a...
As of July 4, 2008, these are the players currently contracted by the leafs that have a shot at making the big club
[b]Forwards[/b]
Nik Antropov
Mark Bell
Jason Blake
Darryl Boyce
Boyd Devereaux
Robert Earl
Alex Foster
Mikhail Grabovski
Niklas Hagman
Nikolai Kulemin
Jamal Mayers
Dominic Moore
Alexei Ponikarovsky
Matt Stajan (Not yet signed, but i ...
Ron Guillet writes...
The Los Angeles Kings Might Have Trouble Reaching Cap Floor
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
After a few crazy days of free agency, the dust is starting to settle and all that remains are second-tier players. In the midst of this, the LA Kings find themselves with a payroll of $US 28,340,000 million (thanks to Chip's Cap Central) going into next season. While they have six Restricted Free Agents to deal with, Jaret Stoll and Patrick O'Sullivan are the only ones of...
Wasn't that long ago when Pronger announced he wanted out of Edmonton after just signing a 6 year deal there. Pronger along with numerous other Oilers (Spacek, Peca, Samsanov, etc) formed a mass exodus out of Edmonton, the City, not the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Club. A team just 4 weeks prior played in a 7th game of the Cup finals. Pronger had his problems personally, his...
Marian Hossa has received a thorough drubbing in the Canadian media for signing with the Red Wings. The criticism has been across the continent from Vancouver to Toronto, and from TSN as well. The worst thus far seems to have issued from Damien Cox of the Toronto Star, hammering Hossa for wanting to seek a chamionship ring and " . . . play out of a smelly, crumbling Joe ...
After going over player rosters and watching some of the Jackets Press conference on the Tyutin trade, I looked at the line up. I saw # 49 Fritsche in the Columbus fowards column.He's not on the Rangers roster anymore either. However there are no updates to his contract status. He was filing for arbitration and I'm not sure if Sather let Dan Walk back to Ohio.
Ok so...
So for those of you who get lost sometimes in trades, I've tried to compile a good list of what Buffalo has given up and then gotten through trades in 2008:
[i][b]Trade Deadline Day 2008:[/b][/i]
[b]Sabres give up:[/b]
[20 Games of service from Brian Campbell]
7th round pick in 2008 Entry Draft [later became Drew Daniels (RW)]
[b]Sabres get:[/b]
Steve Bernier (...
July 8th, 2008
So the dust has setled, money has been thrown around as if it grows on trees, and we inch closer and closer to the 2008-2009 NHL season. It's the time of year when GM's, after months of analysing, scouting, and meticulous planning, get out their cell phones and start wooing agents and their clients to come play for their team. Massive contracts are being ...
[i]Hello everyone, I hope you enjoy each moments of the free agency frenzy, as always, this is a very thrilling and exciting moment for hockey fans.[/i]
Before the free agency period began, Bob Gainey said that he was looking for an impact player, looking at this year UFA bumper crop names like Hossa, Rolston, Huselius, Jagr and Sundin were the possible targets. So the ...
After today's announcement of the resigning of Jaroslav Halak to a 2 year deal worth a reported 1.55 million, the questions and rumors will no doubt begin again. How many games will he play? Will he be traded? Is he happy in his role as number 2? Personally i am a big Halak admirer. You have to respect a player who came in in the last stretch of the 2006-2007 season, in wh...
First off, let's see how I did with my off-season move guesses (http://my.hockeybuzz.com/user.php?user_id=19560) and what Sutter did in comparison to my guesses:
1) [i]Trade Matthew Lombardi, Anders Eriksson, Andrej Taratukhin, and 2009 #2 Draft Pick to Florida for Olli Jokinen[/i]: [b]FAIL[/b]. Ok, so this big trade didn't happen, but that's not to say Sutter didn't try ...
The Sundin saga is still undecided and only a few teams are still in the race. Detroit and the Rangers are out, due to cap space, Toronto seems to be a little bit erased, only Montreal and Vancouver seems to keep pushing very hard to land Sundin. The Canucks are rumored offering Mats a 2 years/20 millions deal, while the Canadiens offer stand to 2 years/15 to 16 millions.
...
http://flyerflies.com/blog/?p=171
Al Strachan of FoxSports.com has published a blistering criteria of the NHL's current financial status today, declaring that the NHL is still destroying itself from the inside out. This comes in the wake of a disappointingly bloated 2008 free agent market in which a number of high and mid-level players seemed to get far more in their n...
As the days towards the regular season draw closer and closer (three months away I know, I'm just comforting myself) the final rosters of many teams are set to go. When the off-season began, GM's around the league were busy re-shaping their rosters, and with that many teams will impose a bigger threat than last season.
I will begin with the [b][i]Eastern Conference[/i][...
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...
Jerry Maguire.
Dan Boyle. Brian McCabe. Alexander Radulov. Nikita Filatov. Tommy Salo. Mike Milbury.
Brett Favre.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-farmer12-2008jul12,0,38150.story
As a new Packers fan I don't have the long term idolization most do, so Favre comes off kinda spoiled here when he says they didn't try hard enough to talk h...
I haven't gotten in on the Sundin debate, but I sure do read a lot about it. It's incredible how many theories, rumours and flip-flops we have to endure day to day. But for some reason this guy (meaning me) reads on and on.
Ok, for fun...I'll throw in my best guess...
Sundin will be a Hab.
It's been know within the organization for some time.
Grabovski was rumour...
iScoop writes...
Joey Kenward moves up to Vancouver Canucks from WHL Giants
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Great news!! I just received the following email from [b]WHL Vancouver Giants[/b] play-by-play broadcaster [b]Joey Kenward[/b]:
[quote]"Hello. Hope your summer is going well.....
"I wanted to let you know that I am taking a new path in my career. I will be leaving the Vancouver Giants at the end of this month. I have accepted a new job to be a [b]Vancouver Canucks ...
I just got back from the scrimmage and thought I would do a little write-up for all the Kings fans. I haven't see it, but I was told the broadcast was horrible so I hope this helps.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with how it was structured (since I had no clue before I went), there were two 25 minute games and if the score remained tied by the end of the 2nd, it wo...
Nothing bothers me more when people unmercifully belittle someone. Don't get me wrong; as a fan, you have the right to voice your opinion towards the players. But to me, there should be a limit to the continuous slamming of Mr. McCabe. I don't mind people stating whether they like him or not. But attacking him or his family is just plain wrong.
I can hear the Maple...
I decided to write this blogg hoping maybe that Yelle would read it and return to the Flames. Just kidding, but I know that I would to see him return to the Flames to Center our Fourth line with the kids. Now Sutter I know has mentioned that he wishes Yelle the best, and said he will find a job in the nhl for sure. But I think maybe Sutter should think about resigning him ...
Points to note: McCabe has not been benched or told to stay home, reporters keep suggesting that it may happen, but Fletcher has so far dealt in good faith. Howard Berger seems to keep bringing it up on Hockey Buzz, but Fletcher so far seems to me to have been avoiding the public bashing that some few fans and media have been employing.
Second point: As a media generate...
CAPMESS11 writes...
FORSBERG FOR X-MAS,COULD RANGERS LAND SWEDISH STAR?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Forsberg For X-mas, it just might happen. If predictions about Foppa's health stand pat, then he will be ready to get going sometime around the Holidays.The Rangers are currently holding out to see if they can land one more vet to accompany their young talent. Either they manage to pull one big rabbit out of a hat and grab Mats Sundin or bring back Brendan Shanahan for...
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...
SoCalSharksGirl writes...
Sharks Development Camp and Possible Assistant Coaches...
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
There was an article on Tuesday on the Sharks site announcing that the Development Camp will be taking place for the next 5 days at Sharks Ice in San Jose. Unfortunate for us, the camp is closed to the media and the public, to allow for the guys to work without feeling judged.
McLellan will be there, but not on the ice. He will be observing and mentoring from a room abo...
Two years ago, it was Sheldon Souray blasting shot after shot from his spot on the right point, taking Andrei Markov's passes and forcing teammates and opposition to duck for fear of having their heads ripped off by a piece of rubber flying at 100 mph.
Last year, the thought on everyone's mind was "What will we do without Souray?"..."The power-play is gonna be [i]brutal...
Last year, the Toronto Maple Leafs finished 7th last in the league after a dissappointing campaign that had high expectations. They failed to make the playoffs for a third straight year mainly because of poor defensive play and inconsistant back-up play by Andrew Raycroft.
Quite Frankly, I don't think Paul Maurice was quite up to the task of coaching in Toronto.
How...
Its been 19 days since the the wave of blue and white faithful sat on edge waiting to see if Mats Sundin would sign on the dotted line with the Habs. Perhaps the Canucks would lure him with that huge 20 Mil. deal they waived.. wait, maybe he's gone to retirement.. Noone counted Sundin as a Leaf for the 08-09 schedule. Noone thought he'd ever come back to the lowly bottom...
Here's a Swedish newspaper claiming that Sundin has chosen to play for the Vancouver Canucks next year. Could be just a rumour, could be true. Who knows, but fuel to the fire.
[url]http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=672&a=806514&rss=2216[/url]
Google translated page:
According to information provided to DN leaving Mats Sundin Toronto for Vancouver.
Sundin ...
Shout outs to
Karen, brooke, #23, Kristin, Donna, Theresa, Jeremy, Eric, and Erica.
They skated these kids very hard. At the end of the whole day several players jerseys were absolutely drenched all the way not in inch left unsweaty.
No one really stood out to me as head and shoulders above everyone else. Plus there was alot of skating drills as the Power Skati...
It is getting laughable of late with the continual flow of idiotic rumors about the future of Mats Sundin. The people who are pushing forward these "gems" are apparently doing so with the agenda of generating buzz. Whether for a blog or a Newspaper or a hockey themed show, Mats Sundin's story remains a "gravy train" for those seeking a boost in readers or ratings. The prob...
A short blog on today on the first day
Lalande, Kevin
Had a great day, his play has really improved. Kevin's lateral movement from side to side was very good. Still needs to work on his angles giving to much room for the shooter. But he is quicker than last year he looks like he has had a good summer working out.
Keetley, Matt
Looks like the old Matt as us...
The team looks good on paper and should go far
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...
I've been passively flipping through some of the economic news of the day and have found several sources suggesting that we should not in any way be trading futures on oil and food. Sounds simple enough - why hoard the necessities of the day and drive up the price for those who simply can't afford it?
I also just saw that Dennis Wideman just got $15.75M over 4 years. ...
FuzE_gus writes...
Leafs honour Clark and Gilmour, but should they have?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As reported by TSN: "The Toronto Maple Leafs will honour former captains Wendel Clark and Doug Gilmour by raising their numbers to the rafters of the Air Canada Centre this season."
Both were great players without a doubt and both were classy guys as well. However, neither brought a championship to the Leafs, the ultimate model of greatness in any league. If these pla...
First off let me apologize to all of the Toronto Maple Leaf fans that were hoping Brian Burke was going to be their General Manager next year, but the writing is on the wall that he is staying with the Ducks.
What is that writing you may be asking yourself? Well, it’s the Ducks resigning of Randy Carlyle to a two year contract.
Now I'm sure you're asking yourself,...
The off-season moves made by the Leafs are puzzling to say the least. The strangest was the hiring of Ron Wilson as head coach. Wilson is a defense first, hard nosed, no nonsense coach. He will be able to install a system that the Leafs have needed for years.
Most of Leafs Nation would like to see the team finish last in order to get the top pick in the '09 draft, my...
ladynic writes...
7/23/08 Trial on the Isle, Flyers prospect camp event (pics)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Shout outs to Erica, Brenda, Karen, Julie, Brooke, Theresa, Donna, Bill and Scott
Thank you to all the Flyers prospects for a great day.
I missed the opening act for this day due to bad online directions. When I got there the players were doing group shots on the beach.
I believe they may have gotten done sooner then expected.
When talking to Jim McCrossin l...
[b]DAY 3 PROSPECTS CAMP[/b]
First of all, I am going to try to have a small write up on every prospect except Boyd; he is not really a prospect. I want to apologize for some criticisms, I am just commenting on how they played, not on the person.
[b]GROUP A
FORWARDS
75 John Armstrong
[/b]
I actually saw some light at the end of the tunnel for Armstrong. His...
Ok so Sundin dosen't stink but the statement is true. If the Canucks do actually land this fat fish it may take up more room in the tank than we can afford.
Think about next year (because this is a two year deal) we have dome pretty big signings coming up i.e. Sedins, Edler. Ohlund, Krijacek, Burrows, Shannon, Pettinger, Bernier. Do you see any of these players taking a...
Anyone else think that the NHL, Executives, Players, and Agents alike use him to deflect the real goings-on in the NHL?
I think so.
His blogs are as reliable as a Ford Pinto, or less reliable. It's like bizarro blogging. Whatever he writes, just believe the opposite and it would stand a much better chance of becoming true.
Sundin going to Montreal or Toronto? well...
Here are 13 why reasons that Mats Sundin should sign with the Habs:
1. Sundin has a Stanley Cup drought of 17 years and the Hab have a drought of 15 years. They are in a position to help each other out.
2. Sundin would put himself to not only win a Stanley Cup, but to win it in the greatest hockey city on earth. When you win a cup in Carolina, you get a ring. When y...
Shout outs to everyone. I think I texted everyone who kept me informed all the days I could not go. I hope that I lived up to the expectations.
Today there was alot of switching back and forth between rinks. It made the time go much faster so that they didn't have to wait for the zamboni to finish.
Today's scrimmage was very high tempo and physical. There wer...
This year the North West division might be the closest and one of the most interesting divisions in hockey. Why you ask? Well because all 5 teams have a legitimate chance of winning the Division but all face certain questions that could make or break there season. But who really knows anyone could be a top three seed come April.
[u][b]Colorado Avalanche[/b][/u]
...
Well while the entire world ceases to function while awaiting Mat's decision, I thought I would look over the cap. How is your team looking? Lets look at the overs and close to overs first.
Saying the the ideal # of players is 22 on your big club roster. (1 extra forward and d and obviously 2 tenders). How many teams have backed themselves into corners.
1. The Anaheim Du...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Law of Unintended Consequences: The Cap & Cost Certainty
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Law of Unintended Consequences states that any purposeful action will likely produce some unexpected or unintended consequences. These consequences are almost always divergent from the intended result and, often, the polar opposite.
Two words uttered by Gary Bettman, in 2004, radically changed the landscape of the National Hockey League forever. This notion plunge...
I would like to thank Mr. Spratt Personally he was a great to allow me some time with him. I can tell, what the Flames see in James Spratt you can tell a lot about man by his dad thanks so much again. I will posting another interview with Mr Severen in a couple of days both men deserve equal time.
...
With training camp about 6 weeks away the Calgary Flames sit at about 2.3 million over the salary cap (according to Cap Central). If you count the signing of Andre Roy, which was actually a one-way deal at 550,000, it puts the Flames nearly 3 million dollars over the cap.
GM Darryl Sutter has been seen on Canadian Media and read throughout local papers saying he's done...
The Montreal Canadiens are coming off of a Cinderella type season, where the so called experts picked them to finish anywhere between 10th and 13th in their conference. Instead, we saw the emergence of Kostitsyn and Plekanec, the resurgence of Alex Kovalev and the Good, the Bad and the Ugly side of Carey Price. The end result was a spectacular surprise first place in the...
Hi Folks the carnival is on as I reported previously. Tickets are now on sale. Here is the link to purchase the tickets.
http://www.cotecarnival.eventbrite.com/
Hope to see you there.
During the last few days, I've been pondering what the upcoming season will have in store for Les Habitants and I'm going to pre-emptively strike and deliver a late-July season preview (actually most of the major hockey preview magazines will be out in a few weeks and they have pretty much finished their season preview writing as well).
Although I have no proof, (much l...
Ok so before Rangers fans panic at the Nedved button understand his invitation is only an insurance policy. In the event that the Sundin train pulls into MSG the club will have to clear cap room. Moving a center like Blair Betts plus to a club like LA who still needs to reach the cap floor is an option. What's attractive to opposing teams is that a few of the Rangers su...
[b]OVERALL IMPRESSIONS OF THE FLAMES PROSPECTS CAMP[/b]
I was quite pleased when I went to this camp. It was really interesting to see the progress of the players. I love the talent; I had no idea of the ability of the prospects. The Flames will have a solid future for many years to come. Especially in the net, where they have plenty of depth.
What made it more fun...
It is becoming apparent that Mats really isn't excited about any of the choices being offered. One theory is that he'd really like to take a year off and return to a stronger Maple Leafs team - but after the lockout year, he knows full well the uncomfortable truth about being over 35 and being away from the NHL for a year - if you don't stay in absolute top shape, you fac...
One more word of thanks to those of you who took the time to read my first post, and special thanks to nephew23 for helping me clean up some "technical difficulties." Anyway, last time I noted that all future posts would be more condensed and follow a general format, so let's get right to it.
The latest signing by the Ducks is of a Norris Trophy winner, but before you ...
This is an inside look into Mike Gillis, his past, his role, and the challenges that he has yet to face.
I am a long time canucks fan, and over the last few months have witnessed many Pro and Negative Gillis statements. This blog is for all canucks fans to take a step back and look at Mike Gillis in a different perspective. I hope it's also a different perspective f...
Although Canada will win the Gold Medal in 2010 (c'mon take your best shot!!) I thought it would be fun to name the team now and save everyone the wait! Of course you might not agree with my opinion here and I look forward to your input.
Let's start in the back for a change because this could be more muddy than we think. To me, hands down, it's Luongo. BUT he honestly d...
[img]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/EaglesWallpaper/sundinhospital-1.jpg[/img]
[b]My attempt at a comedic view of the Sundin Saga, might as well do something to pass the time, so read this:[/b]
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A Doctor paces the hallway of a transplant ward of a hospital. In his hands, a heart, it shows...
CAPMESS11 writes...
RANGERS BEST OPTION FOR LATER COULD BE TO MOVE ROZSIVAL NOW
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It is inevitable that the Rangers will have to move some players to make room for Mats Sundin. I still think they should remain in the hunt,as the Rangers will need another scoring threat to compete in the East.For one or two years the Blue shirts would add much needed size to slow down the attack of the Pens,Flyers and beefed up Tampa.I think a line of Mats,Naslund,and...
There are those who play in NY and those who play for NY. In the NY sports market there are the types who follow the money and not their hearts and crumble under the big lights. But then there are those that blend into the bright lights and become one with the city. From baseball to hockey we have seen players come here only to crash and burn . There was Theo Fleury wh...
Happy Saturday Morning hooligans.
Funny how the hockey world works. 10 years ago everybody was a monster like Lindros now the little guys like Kane, Giroux and Gagner are popping up all over the place.
Very weird by I’m not a big fan of Corona, just don’t like putting lime in my beer I guess.
Now a lime in my rye and ginger, now your talking.
Since we are o...
Happy Saturday Morning hooligans.
Funny how the hockey world works. 10 years ago everybody was a monster like Lindros now the little guys like Kane, Giroux and Gagner are popping up all over the place.
Very weird by I’m not a big fan of Corona, just don’t like putting lime in my beer I guess.
Now a lime in my rye and ginger, now your talking.
Since we are o...
Happy Saturday Morning hooligans.
Funny how the hockey world works. 10 years ago everybody was a monster like Lindros now the little guys like Kane, Giroux and Gagner are popping up all over the place.
Very weird by Im not a big fan of Corona, just dont like putting lime in my beer I guess.
Now a lime in my rye and ginger, now your talking.
Since we are on the ...
Few remember the promise that some scouts saw in this young behemoth when prior to his draft year, he led his country of Kazakhstan to a romp over Iceland in some international game in one of the low level groups. He scored 11 goals, 15 assists in a single game, and with that 6' 5" frame, and his youth, he seemed a sure bet for great things some day in the NHL.
Fast fo...
Ron Guillet writes...
McCabe's Departure Is Kubina's Gain; And The Captain Issue
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
After months of playing hard-ball, it appears Bryan McCabe is finally realizing his tenure in Toronto is tarnished, and the only way to continue with his career is to start anew.
According to The Toronto Star, McCabe's agent, Ian Pulver, has confirmed the two sides have been discussing the possibility of a trade. ''Bryan is starting to think about possibly getting his ...
Well. It's been a long, long offseason so far, but we're still alive, waiting for our Habs patiently. The waiting is painful, and we're all very hasted to see what our favorites are gonna do this year. Well, at least, there are several entertaining questions surrounding "Les Habitants". Will Sundin sign here? How will Tanguay do? Will Laraque have a good impact on the team...
Let's start off with an introduction. I haven't been on this site, and posting a blog in a while. So, the name's Johnathan. I'm a 16-year-old highschooler from Toronto, Canada. I've probably already lost credibility in saying that, haven't I?
Well, how's this one - I'm writing this blog in the middle of night, my head pounding while eating a bad of Lays potato...
doktordave writes...
Latest Mcabe Rumors - and other possibilities. PART 1
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, things have certainly gotten interesting today in Leaf Land with a number of published reports suggesting that Brian McCabe is almost ready to waive his No Trade Clause....some variety in the reports too - one suggests a deal has been sketched out with Florida, another has said that McCabe has green lighted a trade to any one of number of eastern conference teams. S...
Video
Brenda fighting Riley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbQqG-ulzD8
Pics
My Full Set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157606797506365/detail/
Erica's Full set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickilynn7/sets/72157606793694253/detail/
ok now down to business.
Shout out Sojer, Amanda, Arlene, Brenda, Ryan, Mr Hockey, SuperFan, Joyce, Steve, Rosean...
As of today, there are 8 NHL teams who have a vacancy at team captain. While it is not technically mandatory to have a captain (3 alternates can be designated instead), having a solitary figure at the forefront of team leadership is good for the team psyche. (Plus, I challenge the hockey scholars to find me a case where a Stanley Cup winning team did not have a captain.) S...
Ok well you all know the drill , i spin my little roulette and it comes out on a team . I then precede to give me un-expert like run down on the team and what i think of it . Well and here we go onto the spin.
And we have the Vancouver Canucks.
Vancouver Canucks
Ok when we all hear the name Vancouver we generally don't think the following words. Goals , offence ,...
With nothing else to look forward to until Sundin says "Yes", "No", or "I quit",
we may as well look at some of the Canucks prospects. This is in know way whats going to happen, or what a "source" said.
Grabner is the only player i see making the team...
Lets say hypothetically the rumoured McCabe for Van Ryn swap happens. Who do you like better as a hockey player. Lets put aside the contract situations, the infamous own goal brain cramp, the pure hatred Leaf fans have towards #24. Is this a good hockey trade for the Leafs? Is Van Ryn an upgrade or a downgrade? I'm curious to hear peoples opinions from a pure hockey p...
With just about every story not already covered by other outlets exhausted, this week's Duck Puck discusses a question that has been posed all summer long.
How will the Ducks get under the salary cap?
Currently, Anaheim's payroll for the 2008-09 season sits at roughly $59.9 million, or about $3.2 million over the new $56.7 million cap. While this alone seems like a ...
I participate in a 12 man fantasy league and we draft very early before every season. Our draft was conducted last weekend. The league is very competitive and is worth quite a bit of money by fantasy league standards or atleast by college student income standards, seeing as we are almost entirely composed of college students. The requirements of the league are also very in...
Ok so its' been a few weeks since my last post. The latest rumor has the Rangers moving Scott Gomez to make room for Mats Sudin and about 6 mill per year. If this holds water and the Canucks are looking into picking up the All-star center,they should be prepared to make a realistic offer. For years NY clubs have been exploited and held over the fires when trying to m...
[u][b]Who Do You Choose? McCarty Or Chelios?[/b][/u]
The Detroit Red Wings have no cap space and with two big name guys still needing to be signed we may be seeing a few little moves by Detroit. The ings Chris Chelois 7 Darren McCarty are waiting for a home and unless we do something in the trade department, we're not going to have any room for them. So GM Ken Holland...
When the man works, he works! Yesterday, David Pollack gave us some detailed information on what Vlasic will be receiving over the duration of his four year extension, and today he feeds us hungry fans with even more information on some of the lingering questions we all have. Since all we've had to read over the past couple of weeks are stories by Staff Writers that rally...
This has been quite the off-season for the Ottawa Senators and Andrej Meszaros.
After the Sens completely tanked the regular season and barely put up a fight in round 1 of the playoffs, possibly their top RFA refuses to sign a long-term contract with the club, pushing for as much money as possible.
Now the Ottawa Senators have shipped Andrej Meszaros to the Tampa B...
The Bryan McCabe trade finally became official today as the Leafs ended an almost 8 year relationship with the 33 year old defenseman. So much has been written about McCabe in the last couple months but what do we know about the man the Leafs received in return? Mike Van Ryn has been a Leaf for under 12 hours and already people are speculating about his future (or lack t...
Not much of a report here is the link to the pics
somehow I only took 17
How wild is that?
Players are skating week days only. Go early and watch! I was told they are off ice by 10 am.
Camp reports will come in the next couple weeks to watch for them
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157607115800608/
While Steven Stamkos' name is being mentioned frequently when speaking of the Calder Trophy, it would be a mistake not to consider the likes of Patrik Berglund, Kyle Okposo, Shawn Matthias, Bobby Ryan, Fabian Brunnstrom and Kyle Turris, among others.
Turris, drafted third overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by Phoenix, is coming off a remarkable season with the Wisconsi...
I realize that many players, media and especially fans read Hockeybuzz on a daily basis, and I believe this may be the most efficient way to get this message across.
There is a HUGE difference between the fans and the media, and this was evident this week on the airwaves in Montreal. Jean-Charles Lajoie, a radio commentator on CKAC radio in Montreal managed to OUT-TWIT...
Sure, Jason Pominville is no Eric Staal, but the timing of this 7-year extension for one of the NHL's brightest young stars could not have been worse for the Blue and Gold faithful.
7 years, $57.75 million is a lot of dough. That's $8.25 per season. You might say that this deal is the opposite of a hometown discount. I like Eric Staal, but I think that's a bit steep,...
I have not been posting in a while. I have graduated from university, went on vacation, started my new job. But with the Avs’ training camp just around the corner I will try to write more frequently about the Avs.
What can we expect from the Avalanche this upcoming season? Some analysts have already made up their mind and don’t think Colorado will qualify for the play...
I had the opportunity to attend the Colorado Avalanche's rookie camp today and here are some observations.
[b]Key players that stood out:[/b]
T.J. Hensick- Hensick heads the class of rookie camp. He is the second fastest skater to Kelsey Tessier (the guy looks like a young Pavel Bure). He has a shot that can be either hard or accurate but rarely both. He has great in...
Sorry for the delay, I waited to see if the Hockeybuzz's Ottawa writer was going to post but he did not, atleast yet so here's a breakdown of the Sens Prospect camp last week.
Goalies--- To no surprise for other Sens fans our Goalie prospects didn't stand out in a good way. Elliot looked like a CHL goalie, new to the minors. Mitch O'keefe showed why he's a free agent. N...
EDIT:Sorry about the wierd symbols and punctuation in this blog, I dont know why its doing this and I'm unsure how to fix it
It has to be a very slow news day for the NHL today. The top story this morning is Jesse Winchester practicing on the top-line with Heatley and Spezza.
I’m sure I’m not alone in Sens Nation wondering why this is big news, every year we go ...
It's time to list the best Calder Trophy candidates among the 2008-09 rookie crop. I hope this list helps you pick a few sleepers in your hockey pools.
1. Steven Stamkos TB C 82 games 32 G 35 A 67 points (Should have a Kane-like season)
2. Kyle Turris PHX C 77 games 20 G 35 A 60 points (Will center the Yotes 2nd line)
3. Nikita Filatov CBS LW 75 games 27 G 30 A 57 poi...
After a period of no news coming out of the Tank, now we have a minor flood of information. First up is an article in the Mercury News by Mark Purdy in which he interviewed Todd McLellan and his ideas on what he plans to do with the team. I would provide a link to the article, but it has become for registered users only. Here are a couple quotes:
"Obviously," McLella...
After reading an article on Cody Hodgson from the Vancouver Province [url]http://www.canada.com/theprovince/news/sports/story.html?id=067ccf11-4598-4d09-9a0b-9dddec9fe1c0[/url] and hearing that he has advanced to the Canucks main camp. I am starting to wonder if Cody Hodgson might have a chance of making the Canucks this season. His 5 points and a plus 5 rating in 2 games ...
In just a couple of moves, the Flyers have gotten themselves back under the salary cap with plenty of time to spare before the season opens.
By putting Derian Hatcher on long term injury, his $3.5 million salary came off the cap. The club began the week at $59.2 million - that includes Steve Downie, Ryan Parent and Claude Giroux, all of whom I have on my pre-...
If you want to win your hockey pool and I know you do then read and remember the following.
I won't name the obvious players such as Crosby, OV and the Thornton's of the world as we all know about them. All these predictions etc are based on healthy seasons for the players.
Pay attention as some players are for keepers reasons.
Players I love
Forwards
Eric S...
Flyers training camp opened this morning. Two morning sessions here.
We asked 5 questions for coach John
Stevens coming into today
Q- Looks like there are more ice time issues than spots to be won?
A - We’ve got some new players, frankly, we don’t know much about. There are some opportunities up for grabs on our team for more ice time, more responsibility....
Let's be honest, being the GM of the NHL's most storied franchise during the most monumental season the team has ever prepared must give Bob Gainey fits. The pressure to be a part of this team as management or as a player in a "normal" year is enough to make people fizzle. (see Michael Ryder a la last year) In saying this, The pressure of performing in a hockey hotbed...
The2ManAdvantage and Shawn Arseneault are on the scene, reporting back on day one:
[b]The2ManAdvantage's eyewitness report[/b]
[i]Training camp is a bit different this year. Instead of scrimmages, Scott Gordon is running practices. The drills are focused on speed, driving to the net, quick passing, and transitions. Gordon is fiery. Its great to watch and his energy ...
Day 1 of training camp was filled with boring physicals, and head shots for the game programs. *Yawn* Day 2 was the first full skate by the entire team, sans Schneider. Starting with drills at 9:45 and culminating with a 90 minute scrimmage game with all 50+ skaters, including 5 goalies. Below are my random and highly inaccurate thoughts:
[b]Teemu Selanne[/b] got the lo...
Let me apoloize for horrible writing but my heart was in the right place
TRAINING CAMP REPORT
We went to all of the Group A Session. I did miss half of group B, we left around 2 pm. So in all fairness, my Group B impression might not be as good. I am just writing on the players who made the best showing in the practice to me.
Rhett Warrener
Rhett looks in...
I spent some time studying Kyle Wellwood during last nights 4-3 SO game against the Oilers, and came to the conclusion that it doesn't matter whether he is in 'hockey shape' or not.
He was never once out of breath when he came back to the bench at the end of his shifts. Heck, I couldn't even detect a single bead of sweat on his brow thoughout the contest (and he played ...
What I have to say might sound crazy to some. But I'm going to pick my top nine teams in each conference to make the play offs. Top nine you say? Well considering that each season one of the divisions always appears a bit weaker than the others and nearly or completely blocks out a team with a better record.
Western Confernce:
Detriot- Though I think the road for ...
I've been trying to figure out an angle to write about regarding the Philadelphia Flyers recently. All the other blogs have their pre-season predictions, training camp reports, and the "pumped up for the hockey season" blog. Trust me, I could write 15 pages, single-spaced, on how excited I am for hockey to be back - this is the stuff I live for.
But when trying to find ...
[b]Camp Notes for the Week For the Flames[/b]
The Calgary Flames are 2-1 on the season losing to the Panthers 2-1 and beat the Coyotes twice. But overall, I think you have to be really impressed with the team as a whole. The Flames have surprised me this week by mostly using a veteran line-up.
The real battle is on defense, as Warrener, Erikisson, Pardy, and Vande...
The Canucks are now riding a 3-0 record, going un - beaten but was it a fluke? No way! Vancouver and it's prospects were working their butt off to win the last three games and that hard work has definitely been paying off. I mean, some prospects like Jannik Hansen (3 points in 2 preseason games) have been showing why they deserve to make this team while others like Matt Pe...
Current thinking seems to put Vancouver's top 2 lines as:
Sedin/Sedin/Bernier
Raymond/Dimitra/Pyatt
The Dimitra line above played as the first line last night against San Jose, and did pretty well (although they finished -1 as a line for the game).
If this line plays together for the whole year I suppose they [u]max[/u] out with the following point totals:
M. ...
The panic for Canucks fans is finally stating to ebb as a jumbling bunch of youngsters has proven that they have skills to add to a team long in need of grit and offense.
The first half of the pre-season has seen the best record in the NHL and a nice crop of emerging talent in Hodgson, Grabner, Wellwood, Krog and Hansen. Granted Krog and Wellwood are not really 'emergi...
What's more disheveled than the status of the US economy these days? How about the Isles defensive core. Sutton is injured from training camp drills. Campoli from a crushing hit in a preseason game. What are those injuries and for how long....your guess is good as mine, because the Isles won't tell due to the newest slab of insular policy-making in the NHL. They don't have...
In one of the most action packed offseasons in Canucks history, this one blows everything else out of the water.
Roberto Luongo is named as the first goaltender in 61 years and risks "Captain Lou Albano" jokes for another 2 years.
Keeping in mind that Canucks hockey has been pretty interesting over the last few years, this year has been...incredible. Usually the hig...
Been away from the Leaf's page the last couple of weeks, but i have returned. Talking to my source(who has some great connections to the Leafs) has told me that they are hearing that Cliff is still looking to move some body around. With the back log of D men the name of Carlo Colaiacovo has come up as a prospect that teams are really looking at. Word is that Cliff is loo...
Going into this season, its pretty clear who will be at the top of the Central Division: The St. Louis Blues....
I kid, I kid...
It'll be Detroit hands down. It amazed methat they were able to re-sign Valteri Filppula to a 5 year deal that pays him only $3 million a season on average. On the free market, a guy like him would've yielded maybe double that or more. Thei...
Shout out to everyone.
Before the game the Flyers hosted the season ticket holder BBQ. They had TV's set up so that people could watch the Phillies.
I went to the Caps end for warmups cause I was hoping that Either Ovechkin or Green would be playing and I could get some pics of them. No luck.
[url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/2906637934/in/set-7215760...
Alright, so, everybody does these things at some point, I suppose I'm going to throw them up here too. I don't really know why, considering they'll just get ragged by everyone who thinks their teams should do better and whatever teams I seem to like totally suck.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Southeast Division
1. Washington
2. Carolina
3. Florida
4. Tampa Bay
5. Atlanta
...
Hey Everybody,
This is my first time making an NHL prediction, as I do not really like to throw myself out there, because it is almost a certainty to be wrong. However, I will give it a go this time, and I would like to see what everyone thinks about these picks.
[u]Eastern Conference[/u]
1. Montreal Canadiens
2. Philadelphia Flyers
3. Washington Capitals
4. Ne...
CSullivan10 writes...
Why the Red Wings should trade Lilja and Samuelson.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It is pretty well known that the Wings need to make some kind of a move, if not two moves in order to insure they can be under the cap not only this season but for the next couple seasons. They have an over-abundance of talent on offense and defense and that obviously gives Ken Holland many options with how to get his team there. As a long time Red Wings fan, growing up ju...
Well it has just been reported on nhl.com , that Scott Walker will now join Justin Williams upon the injury list of the Hurricanes.
Walker it was reported will be sidelined for six-weeks to repair a torn ligament in his left hand.Add to that Justin Williams' minimum three months he will be out with a torn achilles tendon , and Carolina might be beggining soon to see t...
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...
SabreCrazy07 writes...
SABRES BEGIN THE CRAIG RIVET ERA....#52 NEW BUFFALO CAPTAIN
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In a text received from the Buffalo Sabres they have named the newly aquired d-man as their newest captain. Also releaed was the news that Pominville, Hecht, Spacek & Numminen will all be named assistant captains. Probally they will be rotated. Since i believe that the league only allows 3 players to wear letters.
So Sabre fans what do you think? Me myself am relieved ...
I 'm not sure what made me do it. But with curiosity the other day, I took at look at the Canucks playoff record. The Canucks have never gone beyond the 2nd round, save twice. Both those times they went to the Finals.
I've only been following the Canucks for a few years but if my memory serves me well they are a team that is notorious for choking.
In their serie...
It's NHL Eve, one of the most exciting days of the year north of the 49th parallel. Every day of since the end of the regular season has been X'd off: here we go again. I decided to purchase NHL Center Ice this season; I just can't get enough of the boys in blue. With this disgusting surplus of games being fed to me I decided to try my hand at blogging some of them. Th...
[b]Northeast Division[/b]
[i]Canadiens[/i]
After a difficult 06-07 that saw the Canadiens barely miss the playoffs, GM Bob Gainey sat and did nothing in the offseason...and he was vilified for it. The Montreal media couldn't understand why Gainey wanted to put his youngsters in positions to make plays. Well it worked, and the Habs grabbed the #1 seed in the East last...
Friday marks the beginning of a new season for the Buffalo Sabres when they face off against the Montreal Canadiens at 7:30pm at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo. The two divisional rivals kick off the 2008-2009 season with a lot of questions open for discussion for both squads after disappointing finishes last year.
The Sabres are attempting to rebound from a season that foun...
Comme chaque annee, le temps est venu pour les experts, pseudo-experts, et amateurs de hockey de predire le classement final qui prevaudra dans la LNH au mois d'avril. J'ai moi aussi mis ma boule de crystal au travail et voici ce que je prévois comme classement de la Conférence Est. J'espere que j'aurai plus de succes que l'an dernier, alors que j'avais reussi à prevoir...
Want a set of predictions that are a little bit off the beaten path? how about...
1) New York Rangers
2) Carolina Hurricanes
3) Montreal Canadiens
4) Pittsburgh Pengiuns
5) Philadelphia Flyers
6) Ottawa Senators
7) Washington Capitals
8) Boston Bruins
9)Florida Panthers
10) Buffalo Sabres
11) New Jersey Devils
12) New York Islanders
13)Tampa Bay Lightning
1...
All speculation is over on who is going to make it (the only one of significance in debate was Filatov), who we would lose on waivers (none), and would we pick up anyone (no).
We now have our team built by the architecture firm of H&H Architects. This team screams Hitchcock. With few exceptions, this team is big, strong and fast. All will compete, there will be no excep...
First I would like to commend the Canuck organization for the impressive and sincere tribute to the late [url=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3108/2537906452_2730d20d83.jpg]Luc Bourdon[/url]. For those who didn't have the opportunity to see the heart-warming display it began with two massive portraits of Luc on the ice surface. Tom Cochraine and Red Rider performed "Big L...
One day while bored at work I was thinking about hockey and wondered if it made much difference if we weighed point production from a per minute basis. I decided to check the top 40 scorers last year and compare them by how many points that they produced by actual playing time. Of course there is always the debate about who is better, Ovechkin or Crosby. Lets see who is be...
This is word-for-word from the first half of my regular Blog just posted, but I thought it deserved a spot all on it's own ...
The Canucks did just about everything right last night in the season opening 6-0 win over the Flames, but the part they pulled off without a hitch came before the game itself, during a moving, yet under-stated tribute to Luc Bourdon.
These...
The Eastern Conference
1. Pittsburgh
2. Washington
3. Buffalo
4. Montreal
5. Philadelphia
6. NY Rangers
7. New Jersey
8. Carolina
9. Ottawa
10. Toronto
11. Tampa
12. Boston
13. Florida
14. Atlanta
15. NY Islanders
Western Conference.
1. Detroit
2. San Jose
3. Edmonton
4. Vancouver
5. Calgary
6. Chicago
7. Anaheim
8. Dallas
9. Colorado
10. ...
Welcome to the first live blog of the season by yours truly, but certainly not the last. Tonight's edition is brought to you by green grapes and a game unfortunately not in HD due to Time Warner Rochester's general incompetence.
The game starts off with one of my favorite lines Vanek - Roy - Stafford that showed some serious potential when all the participants are healt...
Eric Brewer holds the dubious distinction of being the man who was traded for Chris Pronger.
At first, fans rode Brewer hard, taking their anger from the trade out on him. Interestingly, Pronger himself was ridiculed for being “soft” and for terrible play after Mike Keenan traded Brendan Shanahan for him.
But while fans eventually came to love Pronger, not every...
Yes, this team is for real.
It is only two games, but look at what they've done.
An emotional 6-0 win (that one was for you Luc Bourdon) and then a 5-4 OT victory in hostile territory tonight. Northwest Division rival Calgary was the victim both times.
And I know how people say the preseason doesn't matter, but it's no fluke that the Canucks had one of the best r...
Since the turn of the new millenium, Leaf fans have grown accustomed to seeing a late twenties' Bryan McCabe take charge of what was predominantly a veteran laden defense core. We'd often see him bellowing out orders from the bench, sticking up for his teammates even when it probably wasn't in his best interest to do so (getting ragdolled by Chara comes to mind), or displa...
Good logo design is simple. Good logo design is strong. Good logo design quickly conveys an image that identifies a team.
Hockey has quite a few logos that fit that description, among them:
Red Wings
Maple Leafs
New Jersey Devils (clearly the most creative marriage of letter abbreviations and symbolic images representing a devil).
There are also some logos that a...
[b]Blackhawks Goalie Graveyard?[/b]
Did Khabibulin fall victim to the same fate as Brian Boucher?
I started getting into hockey a couple of years ago when Boucher, playing for the Hawks, went 1-10-3. He ended up getting waived by the Blackhawks that year and played minimal games for the Blue Jackets.
Boucher holds the distinction for the longest consecutive st...
[u][b]Trends after the Canucks first 3 games:[/b][/u]
[b]Offense:[/b]
-The top line is working. Not only have all 3 put up points, but Bernier is a plus 3 with a spirited fight. Sedins: both have 5 points are are plus 4.
-The 2nd line is not. A collective minus 7 with 2 points. Raymond has missed the net 6 times. I predict that it'll eventually break out; t...
Earlier I posted this....and the Sabres are already up 3-0 with 6 minutes left in the first. Can't be right all the time! I'll chalk this up to my Vancouver bias described below in my earlier entry.
I'm going out on a weird limb tonight, and I'm predicting a 4-2 Vancouver win for this evening's game at HSBC Arena.
I say Steve Bernier will be pumped and fiery for th...
[img]http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/4100/vaneksz1.jpg[/img]
Four games. Four wins. Vanek as top star for all four.
[b]Quick stats:[/b]
1. Buffalo out-hits Vancouver 25 to 17. Kaleta is the pounding machine, with 8 hits by himself.
2. Faceoffs are tied for both teams at 24. (I seriously believe this is one of those forgotten-but-important stats, like blo...
With their top lines not producing, their goaltending looking spotty and their special teams non-existent, finding somewhere to lay the blame in Canucks land is pretty easy.
My share of blame would be sent to 2 areas: D and Penalty Killing.
The Canucks have long been one of the best penalty killing teams in the NHL. They were top of the league 2 years ago and did f...
I would like to see a summary feature of all the blogs, sometimes they are just too long and full of pork to really get a grasp of the meat of the blog
Hearing "The Washington Capitals” and “Alexander” in the same sentence, has for the last few seasons conjured up “the Great 8” Ovechkin for hockey fans. This year, however, a new Alexander has finally arrived in downtown DC. Yes, that’s right, Alexander Semin, #28, is finally producing the way all the scouts thought he could, and he is getting...
The pest that we all love to hate will be making his return to Coliseum ice this Thursday when the New York Islanders host the Dallas Stars. Last night he made a more notable return to Madison Square Garden to face the Rangers. I didn't expect him to be out of line when playing against his former team, and from the little I saw my prediction was proved correct. But as usua...
[b] Game Report[/b]
Jarome Iginla and Matthew Lombardi score two goals 1.42 minutes apart in the second period as the the Flames defeated the Caps 2-1. The Flames snapped a 2 game losing streak.
[b]The Good[/b]
The Calgary Flames were perfect on the penalty kill, including a 9 minute power play. Their defensive zone was much better, limiting the Capitals' scoring ...
CAPMESS11 writes...
Cherepanov Tragedy Changes Rangers Plans : RIP # 17
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With all the Dollars and cents the KHL offers,it makes no sense that the hockey world lost one of its future stars. Regardless of his talents,not a single player should have their life in jeopardy playing pro hockey. With all the hazards the game brings naturally, ( Concussions,puck movement,stick infractions,and skate blades) to fight for your life on the bench seems ins...
Have you ever seen a kid at Christmas or do you remember when you were a kid at Christmas? Well, I got a neat reminder when I was at the Flames practice this morning. I guess you could say the Capitals' practice this morning when my boy and his two best friends were patiently waiting for the Capitals to come onto the ice. Well, they were just waiting for one player in pa...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com
Boudreau and the boys head into Thursday's game coming off a loss, Tuesday, to the Calgary Flames. The Caps are 3-2-1, tied for first in the Southeast Division with Carolina (7 pts.), heading into Thursday's game against Gretzky and the Coyotes. The Capitals desperately need to right the ship, to avoid losing three in a row for the fir...
Well we are nearing the end of the first month of action and lots of stories are emerging. Starting with my Sens---
As reported on TSN today, Gerbers days are numbered under Hartsburg. Auld will get the start friday against the struggling Ducks and if he turns in a performance similiar to his first against Pittsburg, then we as Sens will have beyond a Goalie contreversy...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com
For the first time in the Bruce Boudreau era, the Washington Capitals have lost three straight games during the regular season. The Caps travelled to Phoenix on Thursday night and lost 2-1 to Wayne Gretzky and the Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes came back from a 1-0 deficit and scored two unanswered goals in third period and held on for t...
So, on to the Hurricanes, who have posted themselves a 3-2-1 record to kick off the season. A respectable record, having only played two home games thus far, but the team has seemed to regress as the season goes on, as opposed to getting better.
Obviously I can't recap every game for you here, so I will give you some +/- ratings for players on the season....
+'s
B...
Oh boy... here we go again.
Another player out with a concussion after a great big shot to the head.
For those who havent seen it yet (which is highly improbable, as it's one of the biggest hits of the past couple seasons)....
[code][/code]
After I had a minute to cool down, as any fan would be upset watching their teams top prospect go down in such a way, I st...
The Capitals are finally back home after a three game road trip out west. The Caps went one and three on their road trip to Calgary, Phoenix, and Dallas. They picked up two points on the trip, while they would have liked at least three points, they remain tied for first in the Southeast with Carolina. The Caps play the Nashville Predators Tuesday night at 7pm, however, the...
Ah, memories of my youth.
You remember the one I'm talking about. The first time you play with a Rubiks Cube is always the worst, because it doesn't matter what your friend or parents tell you. You think it will be easy. And after 4 frustrating hours, tears and throwing the damn thing against the floor, you hope...pray...that this move will be the one.
And then ev...
It told us we still have offense. It showed what happens when we have a decent time in the transition game. BUT...oh yes the but. But in the end Florida was pretty sluggish and did not truly resemble the team I'd seen this season. Their forecheck was not as strong as it usually was and that still means seeing the turnovers throughout the game that the Blues major issue...
After checking the stats of defenseman on NHL.com I decided that the most accurate way to rate the top Dmen are through points, +/-, and minutes played. When we look at the top 20 in each of these categories there are only 4 players who appear in all of them.
Mike Green 8pts +4 27:33
Nicklas Lidstrom 7pts +6 26:04
Brian Campbell 6pts +5 27:09
Andrei Markov 10pts +4 2...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators battled back and forth like prize heavy-weight fighters in DC on Tuesday night, trading goals on three different occasions. It was Michael Nylander who delivered the knockout blow for the Capitals in the fourth round of a shootout. The Caps never trailed and head to Buffalo with a big two point...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators battled back and forth like prize heavy-weight fighters in DC on Tuesday night, trading goals on three different occasions. It was Michael Nylander who delivered the knockout blow for the Capitals in the fourth round of a shootout. The Caps never trailed and head to Buffalo with a big two...
Larry Brooks, of the New York Post is reporting, Brendan Shanahan has apparently told his agent to consider all open offers. Shanahan told his agent he is tired of waiting for a roster spot to open up with the Rangers. It looks like he will probably not be going back to the Rangers then.
Shanahan has always been considered an offensive threat, but as he has aged he has ...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals, minus Alexander Ovechkin, head to Buffalo for a Saturday night match-up with the Sabres. The Sabres (6-2-2) come into Saturday nights game having lost three straight. The Capitals (5-3-1) will try and build on the win against Nashville, a 4-3 shootout victory, from Tuesday night. This will mark the second straight ...
YAY, A WIN! AN ACTUAL WIN IN REGULATION!
[b]Quick stats + notes:[/b]
1. Giveaways are horrendous. Buffalo had TWENTY-SIX, while Washington had seven. If anyone was watching the sluggish PP, I'm sure you saw several of the 26 giveaways then.
2. Speaking of PP, Sabres went 1 for 8 (Caps were 0 for 5). I know Roy slid one past Theodore on the 5-on-3, but for a go...
While bloggers galore attempt to understand what kind of team the Canucks are this season, I'd like to weigh in on a positive note that has been overlooked to date.
As many will attest to, the Canucks lacked 2 scoring lines last year. The 3rd line did well and the Sedin's did what they've been doing for 3 years, but the contributions from the other lines and the defens...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Buffalo Sabres showed the Washington Capitals on Saturday night that speed kills. The Capitals came out flat and got absolutely blown away, 5-0. Apparently, after the game coach Bruce Boudreau of the Capitals was as mad as he has ever been, since taking over the reigns last November.
The Capitals looked flat from the start. Thomas Van...
So the Isles go into the third period against R.J. Umberger and the Columbus Blue Jackets with a 3-0 lead...very reminiscent of the 4-1 lead the Isles held going into the third against the Montreal Canadiens...but the Isles couldn't blow a 3-goal lead in two consecutive home games...could they?
...yes...yes they could.
And they did. Going into the third period the Is...
bagasome writes...
The Nations' Capitals Meet Up For An Election Day Showdown
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The two nations' capitals will square off tonight, at 7:30, in Ottawa on election day across the United States. Both teams are coming off losses on Saturday night. The Capitals were shut out by the Buffalo Sabres, and Ottawa lost a tough game to Tampa Bay in overtime. Neither team has yet to find its true identity yet this season, and ...
One would have to wonder with the steady decline of the canadian dollar dropping from roughly $1.07 high in October of last year and staying above par with the US dollar for most of last year. Down to current levels of $.82 - $.85 which works out to around a drop of $.15 - $.23 average. If last year Canada's six NHL teams ticket sales made up for 1/3 of the NHL total tick...
One would have to wonder with the steady decline of the canadian dollar dropping from roughly $1.07 high in October of last year and staying above par with the US dollar for most of last year. Down to current levels of $.82 - $.85 which works out to around a drop of $.15 - $.23 average. If last year Canada's six NHL teams ticket sales made up for 1/3 of the NHL total ticke...
Juniors Lose Close One 2-1 to Shawinigan
Montreal. Saturday, November 8, 2008. Entering Saturday afternoon's match at the Verdun Auditorium having won 2 games in a row, the Montreal Juniors were eager to extend their winning streak to 3 games against the league-leading Shawinigan Cataractes. Following their Friday night 6-3 win in Gatineau, the Juniors were only in ...
It's looking like another November to remember for Canucks fans as the team has won 5 of its last 6, including a 3 win/shutout streak and sit atop the NorthWest division.
After looking great in the first week, the Nuck's settled into a lovely groove of mediocrity and were playing .500 hockey. Luongo looked mortal, special teams were on and off and the Sedins had gone c...
In light of the economic "catastrophe" taking place I thought I'd take a look at which NHL clubs have put their eggs in the most profitable baskets.
In the pre-cap era NHL GM's needed to ensure that their payroll reflected the success of their team. For instance, the turn-of-the-century Rangers were a woefully overpaid under-achieving squad, routinely finishing in...
Good god it feels great to see the Canucks on a winning streak. With gas in the tank, goals and a stingy offense the Canucks have been fun to watch and fun to follow.
But remembering again why I'm an armchair GM, one must always be looking to the future.
It is certain that GM MG has been kicking plenty of tires, more so, it seems, than his predecessors. What's more...
It's pretty hard to believe, but I am currently in first place in the Fantasy Hockey Pool presented by KIA on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada! Ron McLean even said my name on TV!
I currently have a 2 point lead over second place, and am trying to keep a blog updated daily to show my progress.
http://rblight18.blog.ca/
Or check out the CBC website if you don't believ...
I'll be the first to admit that I've been slacking in the blog department.
My last [i]real[/i] blog was back in July, "Addition thru Subtraction"
[url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=40071&post_id=5648[/url].
Having an 8 month old baby might have something to do with it =)
So here we are, about 1/5 of the way into this season, we find the Flyers with a 5-...
Too Little, Too Late
Montreal. Wednesday, November 12, 2008. The Juniors faced the Titans for the second time at home this season, having previously defeated the Titans 4-3 in a very close game which marked the debut of Angelo Esposito’s career as a Montreal Junior. Montreal entered Wednesday night trailing the Huskies by 4 points for 1st place in their division.
...
Well it is still a day away from our next game but I can't help but write about what went on the last week and a half in Canuck land.
Luongo shook of the rust and lose of his hair to show every team why they should be worried when he is between the pipes. His play is something that I personally come to love from the elite goalies in the league. There is something absolu...
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 ...
With “100” emblazoned across every conceivable item of memorabilia lest the ice at the Bell Center there is undeniable pomp and pride being wagered at the Canadiens centennial and why not. With North American sports so often criticized for their lack of heritage a storied and historic franchise like the Montreal Canadiens with their wealth of traditions can do nothing ...
There's nothing quite more satisfactory than scoring on the team that recently told you "We don't think you're quite worthy for this team, you're being put on waivers"
Mr. Kyle Wellwood got to feel this just a few hours ago when he lit the lamp against his former Toronto Maple Leafs, shoveling the puck past Vesa Toskala in the first period.
Quite frankly, I was one o...
Montreal Beats the Unbeatable
Montreal. Sunday, November 16, 2008. The Montreal Juniors played their best game of the season thus far, handing the undefeated Moncton Wildcats their first regulation loss of the season, 3-2. Despite allowing 2 goals in the 3rd period, the Juniors outshot and outscored a potent Moncton offense 37-25.
Guillaume Asselin led the way f...
Now I really did not know Pavel Demitra before this year. I knew who he was as a player on the ice and that he was not the healthiest of players. But as this year goes on I am becoming more and more impressed with him as a person. Sure the three assists in his first game back after cracked ribs that kept him out of the line up for 10 games is nice. But the complements this...
From http://capsstop.blogspot.com
Today's post will be a just a random list of points to ponder over, feel free to comment along the way or email thoughts.
-The Capitals earned a point last night that they did not deserve in New Jersey, with the exception of Jose Theodore.
-The recent play of Brent Johnson has motivated Theo to play better and it has shown over th...
The Goal Whisperer
Jeff Carter is quietly making a name for himself around the league; in fact, he is so quiet that some teams do not even know it until they play him. His speed and gritty game allows him to stand his guard in front of the net to bang in the garbage goals, and his wrist shot is so powerful that he could zip it past you from the blue line as hard some gu...
From http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The NHL All Star Game has turned into a joke. This coming year the game will be played in Montreal. The Canadians and their fans are celebrating their centennial and the NHL felt it only right to reward them with the game during such a historic season. The only problem with the whole game is the process for who will start.
Less than ...
Months of uncertainty and speculation are likely to come to an end in the next week when Brian Burke and his associates meet with Richard Peddie and the MLSE. The groups have already spoken albeit lawyer to lawyer last weekend to confirm the Anaheim Ducks had signed papers allowing their former GM to talk with other teams and if reports are to be believed, groundwork was l...
The Isles shootout victory over the Vancouver Canucks Monday night lifted them to 12th place in the Eastern Conference. Sure, that's right around where this team finished last year, but keep in mind just a few days ago we were sitting at the bottom of the standings with thoughts of Tavares and Hedman swirling around our brains.
It's still a possibility (and a very good ...
Itlan writes...
How to keep BR in the NHL, or How Murray Can Keep His Job
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
In an effort that deserved a better outcome, the Ducks dropped a big game against a great Eastern team, the Washington Capitals. One game they should have controlled with the defense corps the Ducks have. But who didn't show up? The Defense. Who did show up? Bobby Ryan. BR was great last night against the Caps.
With style of play that is reminiscent of Corey Perry, sans...
I guess a lot of fans in Montreal now miss Mark Streit after his departure via free agency to Long Island.
Montreal had last year’s number one power play in the NHL, but they are now sitting 26th with a poor 14.6% success rate, while the Islanders power play has improved slightly from 29th to 25th overall. Streit has 12 points (he would be the Habs' 5th scorer) in 18 ...
And, oh yeah, who predicted that?
Mind checking my Oct. 2008 archives for my NHL season predictions?
Because if I recall, I was nearly crucified by the Hockeybuzz community for my "outlandish" remark that the Canucks would win the Northwest Division.
Granted, I know there's a lot of puck to be played, but take a look at those standings, and see if I had any brain ...
The reports around the NHL right now are that the Capitals are trying to move veteran center Michael Nylander. Nylander has two goals and ten assists this season and is a minus two. Recently, Boudreau has not been impressed with his play and subsequently made him a healthy scratch last week against New Jersey. He returned to the line up the next game, only because of recen...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Global Markets Down - NHL "Stock" Soaring Into the Black
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Global Markets Down[/b]
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/ee162/JHRIV/primerate1.jpg?t=1227324887[/img]
I'm sure you've read the papers and heard the nightly news. On Wall Street, the Dow hits it lowest levels in 5 1/2 years. On Main Street, U.S. jobless claims hit a 16 year high. From the Great Wall to the Champs d'Elysee, global recession fears send Asi...
Ninety percent of my fellow red-and-black bleeders, I think, would agree with that. Still, there's this bizarre contingent growing in ChiTown that insists on acting like Paris Hilton on a date to Old Country Buffet. They kept lobbying for home games on TV, now they want more games on WGN and the blackout lifted on Centre Ice. For years, they pined for the return of Pat ...
Dateline: Last season
Philadelphia Flyers GM Paul Holmgren needs to add mobility to his blueline, so he's shopping for a decent veteran guy who can move the rock and be a responsible two way player. The Flyers are playing well after dropping to last place the year before, and Holmgren wants a good playoff run.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired GM John Ferguson Jr, an...
9-8-3 21pts H(5-5-1) A(4-3-2)
Week 6. Wow, just where are the Sabres headed? 0-3 this week, and I do not know what to think of this team anymore. We gave up 14 goals and only scored 6. The lone bright spot of the week was AHL callup Mark Mancari. Scored a goal and was a +/- of 0. We pick up 0 points in the standings and now sit at 9th place in the East, out of the playo...
Well in my trolling for info on Luongo it appears the actual press conference will be help at 2PM PST and that the prognosis is somewhere from 4 to 8 weeks depending on what source you believe. Both reports so far are coming out of Montreal, so it may be from people connected to Luongo's family. We shall see for sure soon enough.
My two cents is that with the way the ...
It's the Quarter Pole and we're 25% through the season.
Week seven saw the Canucks do what they did in November last year: win. The Canucks are now 7-0-2 in their last 9 including a drubbing of New York and Luongo's annual November shut-out streak.
From an organizational perspective, the Canucks are emerging as an exciting well rounded contender. They are not in ...
The Capitals head to Minnesota tonight, a place they have not won at since 1993, to face a tough Wild team. The Caps are 11-6-3 and lead the Southeast with 25 points, while the Wild are 11-6-1 with 23 points. The game is an 8pm start on Versus. The Caps head to Minnesota coming off loses at LA and San Jose, while the Wild have also lost two straight.
For yet another gam...
Well for what it's worth they are saying Luongo is week to week. Apparently no tear, which is huge. The fact he is comfortable walking already is a great sign, and I think they have deemed it week to week as he has never had an injury like this before and so they are not sure how long he will be out, except more than one week. In the press conference there was a questio...
To many Vancouver fans, the Luongo injury was/ is bad news, but to those that have been following the team closely, many know that the team is a tight knit united that wasn't going to shake in its boots and collapse. This team had already won 2 games in a row with Sandman in net, and the red hot trio of Demitra and the Sedins has been looking like a fit that won't be broke...
Well the news for the Capitals has not gotten any better, yet again. In fact, it's worse. Captain Chris Clark has been put on long term IR again. Apparently, Clark is suffering from a stress fracture in his right forearm. This is just the latest in a rash of injuries that have stuck the Caps in the last two weeks. Originally it looked like it was the Carolina Hurricane...
The Flyers look to win their sixth consecutive game as they take on the Hurricanes in Carolina tonight. In my opinion, I think this is going to be a fiesty type of game. The main reason why is that these two teams play each other in a home at home series starting tonight, and the 2nd game of the home at home on Friday, and as we have seen in the past, what happens in the f...
Simon Gagne scored two goals, including an empty net goal as time expired, and the Flyers defeated the Hurricanes, 3-1 tonight. Gags's first goal of the game was a chip shot, as there was a big scramble in front of the net, and Simon got open and scored to give the Flyers a 1-0 lead. In the second period, the Flyers struggled a little bit, as the Canes pressured the Flyers...
Obviously, today is Thanksgiving, and it is a day to be thankful for everything. Watching the Flyers the last few weeks or so, there have been a lot of things I have been thankful for. Here are the 5 things I am thankful for:
1.) Jeff Carter on fire- What a season Jeff has had so far. 15 goals, which is tied for first in the NHL this season. He is on fire right now and ...
The Flames are facing a huge home and home against their rivals the Vancouver Canucks and lets be clear...it's huge...did I say huge? I meant Godzilla size. Why? That's a great question, it's only a quarter of the way through the season, how big could it be?
Well the Flames have are 4-3-1 against divisional teams this year, barely over .500, the Canucks are 5-0-1 which...
I was looking at the All-Star game voting and have decided that Habs fans need to stop breaking the vote... I know you guys (and gals) are showing your team spirit, but you are ruining any enjoyment other fans can get from watching the All-Star game... the All-Star team carries 12 forwards, 6 defensemen and 3 goalies... that means 21 players... having six guys from the Can...
In a matinee matchup today, the Flyers look to extend their winning streak to seven games. This should be a great game for many reasons. Number one, the Flyers are going to be wearing their new third jerseys, which look tremendous. Number two, this is the second game of the home at home. I think this game is going to be a tough, physical game because this is what happens a...
Today, the Flyers lost a tough game by the score of 3-2 in overtime against the Hurricanes. This was a game that the Flyers could have easily won, but Cam Ward just played one heck of a game. You gotta give credit where credit is due. In the second period, the Flyers had numerous opportunities to score against Ward, but he shut the Flyers down. In my pregame blog, I said t...
After an overtime loss yesterday against Carolina, the Flyers look to begin a new winning streak when they take on the Leafs in Toronto tonight. There are going to be questions heading into this game. Will Jeff Carter play? That's the big question, after Jeff hurt his shoulder awkwardly into the boards yesterday. On Post game live on CSN yesterday, Jeff said he was fine, b...
The most boring snooze-fest happened this evening in the Pengrowth Saddledome. The game showed very little offense in the first two periods; I think I saw Kipper fall asleep in net a couple of times. The Canucks had two anemic power plays in the first period. The Calgary Flames had a horrible attempt themselves on the powerplay. The only saving grace this game had was that...
After watching the second-place team in my Yahoo fantasy pool catch up to within mere points of my team ( "erby's Dance Party" ), I've widened it back to a 50-point lead (1202 to 1152). Not bad.
Looks like Semin is in for the long-haul (his injury, I mean), but given the fact that it still isn't being reported as anything "too serious," there's no way I'm dropping him....
With our top blogger out for the season I make my long unawaited return to the MyHockeybuzz blog area thing. Although I originally intended on posting a regular blog, being in Mark Gage's shadow is no easy pill to swallow and it was clear with him on board there was no point in writing a blog that was not going to be read. However, that being said, Gage is gone, so hopef...
Tonight marked the first night the Dallas Stars looked like the Dallas Stars everyone is used to seeing; minus giving up 37 shots on net. And to solve that problem they had Marty Turco at his finest. He stole the game away for the Stars and did not give the home town Flames much all night.
The Flames stuck to their game plan all night, getting pressure on the forecheck ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Holy Schniekie!!!! Victory Snatched from the Jaws of Defeat
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[u][b]Holy Schniekie!!!![/b][/u]
What a night!
With the Orange and Black up 3-1, on two Jeff Carter powerplay goals and one shortie by Mike Richards, the Lightining tie it in third with a missed rebound opportunity put back by Steve Downie, of all people. Then, with 16 seconds remining, Scottie Hartnell pulled a bush-league move of tossing his glove at the stick/p...
If the season ended today there are 16 teams in position to make the playoffs.
San Jose Sharks
Boston Bruins
Detroit Red Wings
New York Rangers
Montréal Canadiens
Pittsburgh Penguins
Anaheim Ducks
Vancouver Canucks
Minnesota Wild
Philadelphia Flyers
Calgary Flames
Washington Capitals
New Jersey Devils
Chicago Blackhawks
Nashville Predators
...
[b]
The Colorado Avalanche suffered a big loss today, announcing that our heart and soul, our captain, Joe Sakic, will be on the shelf for AT LEAST 6 weeks with a herniated disk in his back. Ouch.
Alright, so let the rumors begin. With Joe out, the Avs have to shake things up...but how do they go about this?
One option is to stick with the current team and promote f...
Guillaume Latendresse will likely be a healthy scratch tonight when the Canadiens face the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre. Latendresse was also a healthy scratched in Tuesday's contest against the Atlanta Thrashers.
It was not the first time that Latendresse was not dressed when healthy by Guy Carbonneau, but it's the first time #84 appeared confused in front of th...
Well, some of you will argue with me that I'm homer right now when I say that Bob Gainey is tonight the happiest GM in the NHL - see the happiest man in the world -. Well, every single decision taken by Gainey so far have paid a lot for the Montreal Canadiens.
There are seveeral parts in a GM's job. But Mr. Gainey has managed his team masterfully in every single way in ...
Michael Cammalleri. Ten goals, eleven assists in 25 games and two game winning markers. The Flames are getting exactly what they asked for in this diminutive forward who has an eye for the net and a rougher side than most people think. He has a rifle of a shot and actually uses it, unlike the number 13 who plays for Les Habitants and used to dawn the Flaming C. He, along ...
If you watch the Flyers regularly, you understand how important Jeff Carter is. I certainly understand how important he is to this team. When I mean important, I mean important. The numbers that Carts is putting up this season is over the charts. 19 goals this season, which leads the league. I can guarantee you that nobody thought that Jeff would be leading the league in g...
Juniors Out-Gunned on the Road
Montreal. Sunday, December 7, 2008. The Shawinigan Cataractes tied a franchise record for most consecutive wins at home Sunday afternoon, beating the Montreal Juniors 5-2. The win brought the Cataractes home winning streak to 15 consecutive games, tying a franchise record that was established in 1982-83.
The Cataractes enjoyed a domi...
Slasher98 writes...
Time for D'Agostini to get an apartment in Montreal
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/83938865.jpg?v=1&c=NewsMaker&k=2&d=17A4AD9FDB9CF193003A50471BAAE0D5F0B6D46DD7BFFC0B8F198085993A39DE[/img]
After playing 20 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL, during which he recorded 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points, forward Matt D'Agostini was recalled by the Montreal Canadiens on November 28th.
After watching...
I'm going to try to make this quick since I really should be studying for an exam.
Last night was god awful for the Preds. The team had no life on the ice and seemed drained from the previous night. The powerplay was dismal, esp. in the 3rd period. Yes they scored a PP goal...on a 5 on 3. Game was bad, Canucks were better. OK. Great.
Now on to the hits.
The Daviso...
Here we are, December 10th. Four months have elapsed since the first deadline of August 1st set by the Sundin camp, and we still await his decision. According to a tremendous number of media outlets, as well as Eklund himself, it appears as if the time has truly come upon us where Sundin will finally make his decision and join a team. I understand I could go many different...
Montreal Hands League’s Best 4-1 Loss
Montreal. Wednesday, December 10, 2008. The Montreal Juniors enjoyed some revenge at the expense of the Shawinigan Cataractes Wednesday night, beating the best team in the QMJHL by a score of 4-1. Winning the second of home and home games with Shawinigan, Montreal continued their strong play at home in front of a strong cr...
After a long hiatus due to user name and password issues, I am back and I have a beef.
How in the name of Gary Bettman can he have the player ted for the lead league in goals as a write in candidate for the NHL All-Star game. Jeff Carter is having a monster year and has barely any All-Star votes in comparison with your "superstars" of the league. I know he will be added...
Streaks are a funny thing, and no matter how your team is playing you can find a stat or a trend to either make you feel better or worse about them. The Canucks? Let's have a look:
The preview for Tuesday night's game in Nashville (a 3-1 victory for the Whale) stated that we were a slumping squad mired in a 1-3-1 funk on our current 7-game road trip. Combined with th...
The Flyers came out today and had the zip, right from the beginning. That was the key in the Flyers 6-3 victory today over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Obviously, the Flyers have not had great starts lately, but today that was a different story. It had looked like someone lit a fire up their you know what today. I was very, very impressed with the way the Flyers started the ga...
The Flames roll into St. Louis on Tuesday to face the injury riddled Blues. With likes of key players such Paul Kariya , Manny Legace, Andy Mcdonald, Eric Brewer, D.J. King , and Erik Johnson all out of the line up. One would assume Calgary should easily be able to manhandle the basement dwellers of the western conference. St.Louis 's pains are Calgary's gains.
The rec...
Coming out a phenomenal 2006-2007 hockey season, during which the Anahim Lake, B.C., native won the gold at the IIHF World Junior (U20) Ice Hockey Championship in Sweden (he was named the Tournament MVP) and the Calder Cup with the Hamilton Bulldogs (he was named playoffs MVP), expectations were very high at the beginning of last season in Montreal.
The 6-3, 212 lbs, bu...
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...
[img:left]http://artfiles.art.com/images/-/Mats-Sundin-Photograph-C12544663.jpeg[/img]I can't start heavily criticizing Mats since he is not the first player to do what he is doing: sitting for half a season before deciding where he wants to play. But I have to say, it is completely wrong for athletes to do this.
I'll be the first to admit that I really do not know too ...
Calgary enters Minnesota after a very strong showing in St.Louis on Tuesday night. A very nice confidence booster for Mathew Lombardi with 3 points on the night and Mike Cammalleri knocking in a goal and an assist. Jarome Iginla with his career stats vs the Blues only got better knocking in 2 goals and assisting on 2 , for a 4 point night. Strong showing from Corey Sarich ...
3:01 Pacific Time: NHL Director of Corporate Communications Michael DiLorenzo posts on Twitter: @umassdilo "sundin to canucks"
3:01 Pacific Time: Radio personality Buzz Bishop posts on Twitter: @buzzbishop "just got the press release. it's official SUNDIN IS A CANUCK"
3:06 Pacific Time: TSN posts a short story saying Mats Sundin is a Canuck with few details
3:06 P...
Look, I keep hearing about how Mats Sundin is going to take Vancouver to new heights and how he will affect the Flames in terms of head to head match ups. Mats is just a little bit better than Daymond Langkow, he's not the best thing since sliced bread, he just consistently good. Over the last two seasons Langkow and Sundin are only about 10 points apart roughly... and Gil...
The rematch between the Caps and the Flyers will begin at 1pm today at the Wachovia Center. These two teams faced each other in a great 7 game series this past season, where the Flyers won game 7 in overtime on a Joffrey Lupul goal. I'll tell you what, you want to see an entertaining game, you got it right here. Alex Ovechkin and his crew come here to Philly to take on the...
Holy Niitty! That is how you describe today's game. Antero Niittymaki made 47 saves, including 25 in the first period, and the Flyers trampled over the Capitals 7-1 today. Obviously, Niitty was the big key in this game, but Scott Hartnell also joined the party. He scored a hat trick in this game, which was his 4th hat trick in the calendar year. After the second goal, the ...
As a Vancouver Canucks fan, particularly one not living in the city of Vancouver. I find it difficult to get Canucks' news, without venturing online. So it's heartwarming to see how many fans across this great North American plane have so much to say and offer about my team. The nuggets of knowledge expressed, i often find unbiased and completely insightful, and it tota...
Lets pose this question not just to Flames fans but also to hockey fans. Dion's defensive play is being over shadowed by [i]Todd Bertuzzi's[/i] horrible +/- rating. Dion has the second worst +/- on the team, now some may say that's because he averages 28:03 in ice time so there is more of chance for goals against. If that was true then [i]Robyn Regher[/i] with his 22...
As expected, the injured Dana Tyrell has been replaced with the WHL's Evander Kane, and Team Canada prepares for their second exhibition game tonight against Team Finland.
Evander Kane of the Vancouver Giants was a surprise cut from the team last week; fast forward to now and he’s where he rightfully belongs. The 2009 draft eligible forward is playing a comfortable se...
Since the lockout, the NHL has both enacted and endured many changes. One of the most intriguing, and certainly the most disturbing is one that has overcome many members of the media who make a living covering the NHL.
According to many card-carrying members of the hockey-media, post lockout teams should be more than willing to throw entire seasons and lose "on-purpose"...
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v34/leafs4ever89/hockeycanada2.jpg[/IMG]
It's their final exhibition matchup of the pre-tournament and Canada looks to apply the same pressure they've produced in their first two meetings. Sunday night's game against Finland showed that this team can in fact change on the fly, and I'm not talking about the lines.
Canada's game a...
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v34/leafs4ever89/hockeycanada2.jpg[/IMG]
The school break for Kindergarteners to University students; holiday vacation time for the employed; Christmas celebrations; and finally, the start of the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships. December never feels the same without it.
I've always appreciated the NHL. As a hockey fanatic...
Happy Holidays to all of my fellow HockeyHeads out there...
I Wish the best to all into the New Year which, for the NHL, begins at the corner of Clark and Addison for the 2nd Annual Winter Classic--which seems like an oxymoron, but I digress. In a very short time, the W.C. has unquestionably become one of the too few highlights for the NHL (regular season) that really ...
Sven_119H writes...
Shawinigan Opens New Rink With a 5-1 Win over Juniors
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]5 Unanswered Goals Shutdown Juniors[/b]
[b]
Montreal. Saturday, December 27, 2008.[/b] The Shawinigan Cataractes opened their new arena, the Amphithéâtre de Shawinigan, with a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Juniors on Saturday night.
Shawinigan wasted little time recording their first goal in the new state of the art facility as Matthew Pistils notched his 2...
Sens have been playing fairly well so far, which is a nice change. The same reaccuring theme has been rearing its ugly head already, Spezza looks lazy and the defense isn't playing well despite the low shots total.
Alot of penalties in the first period. Both teams are playing very aggresive, Gonna get ugly.
And as usual Ottawa's play has caught up with them, 3-2 Calg...
Pre-Game: Senators vs. Canucks
The Ottawa Senators are looking to avoid one streak and continue another as they face-off against the Vancouver Canucks tonight. The Luongo-less Canucks are 5-4-1 in their last ten games but have fallen short in their last two, including one to the Edmonton Oilers despite sporting a 10-5-1 record at home this season. The Senators are curre...
1. 14 Goal scorers after the first 2 games.
2. Jamie Benn's hat trick.
3. John Tavares with 2 goals and 2 assists.
4. Canada ties all-time highest shutout goal total with 15.
5. Jamie Benn's unbelievably unselfish assist on Tyler Ennis' PP goal.
6. Ryan Ellis playing an incredible point shot position.
7. Chris DiDomenico's hands and cycling skills.
8. Goaltending is...
Spezza to Calgary?
Every year there seems to be someone putting out a rumor that leaves me laughing out loud. Since the lockout every expert panel from TSN to The Hockey News says Iginla needs a number one centre. Now I'm not here to debate if he needs the centre I'm here to debate the rumors. I was at last nights Ottawa vs. Calgary game and could say that...
Renny needs to let out the hot air or before long, he'll float away. After telling the media and the world that he would start benching important players and standing his ground,he send Corey Potter and his bruising size to Hartford again!. His promises are becoming empty,it's like a kid crashing the car into the garage and still being able to go to the party. What mad...
The Flyers got back on the winning track, as they defeated the Canucks 3-2 last night. I was very impressed with how the Flyers played last night. Unfortunately, one of the stars on the Flyers got hurt way too early in the game. About 15 seconds into the game, Simon Gagne got hurt when Kevin Bieska hit him near the boards. Simon left the game with an upper body injury. Rig...
First off I have to say that I am a die hard Maple Leaf fan, please don't hold that against me. More so I am a fan of the game, I can watch any game at anytime and find it enjoyable. So for those who are like me, if you could buy 1 crested jersey NOT from your favorite team who would it be and why? Which do you have already? Please do not include National team jerseys.
...
This little blog takes involves many NHL teams however most of my proposed trades involve either the Leafs or the Canucks as they are the two teams that I know the most about. It is a pretty interesting read and I did do my research as far as caproom and contracts go.
When I take a look at the current standings it is fairly evident who some of the buyers and sellers...
Reunited for yesterday's match-up against the Florida Panthers, the Kostitsyn brothers, Andrei and Sergei, sparked the Habs' offense to a close 6-5 OT win over Peter DeBoer's team.
Lining up on a line with veteran Robert Land, the "Mullet line" produced three of the Canadiens' goals. Lang finished the afternoon with one goal and one assist (+2), while Andrei notched two...
I must tread lightly when speaking on this subject, but, what I offer is only my opinion. Count it for what you will, as it is based on my experiences, as they relate to hockey and to life. The reasons not in any particular order;
1. Politics, it may seem stupid and completely unrelated but it is what it is. The United States have disobeyed treaties (Nafta) , putting ma...
Well the eastern roster is out and the habs, thanks to their loyal fans have 4 players in the starting lineup (they would have had 6 if it was not for pens fans). Lets look at the 4 players the habs have in the all star game (cant argue with Malkin and sid for starters)
# Pos Player GP G A P +/- PIM
79 D Andrei Markov 39 6 23 29 8 18
...
He's back in the NHL and playing for the Canucks. He certainly gave Ek a lot of material to work with in terms of being the focus (somewhat) of the hockey universe for the last long while.
I really had been hoping for a larger build up to his return and really didn't get much. Living in the Vancouver area, I was kinda hoping for a little buzz about the guy but didn't g...
Last night was a perfect example of why Real Flames Fans like Iginla.
Everyone has been on his case for not scoring in 6 games. For not scoring against San Jose. Asking questions like "What kind of a leader is he if he isn't scoring?"
Calgary's 5th goal against the Islanders was a perfect example. Iggy brings the puck around the back of the net while all the Islander...
Jeff Carter scored two goals to add on to his league leading 29 goals, and Marty Biron made 41 saves as the Flyers defeated the Leafs 4-1 tonight. I thought Marty had one of his best performances of the season. Marty made the big saves when needed, and he helped the Flyers get a big win. Obviously, if Marty can keep on playing this way, the Flyers will win a ton of games. ...
icedog97 writes...
They Have Lost Their Way...They Have Lost Their Identity
Posted Monday | Comments 0
A couple of seasons ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins were a team filled with potential.
They had young talented players who were learning the ropes in the NHL. What they lacked in experience they made up for in desire and hard work.
Almost every game, you could see them gaining confidence...realizing with each day that they could compete and be successful in the NHL.
...
Coaches Corner maybe becoming increasingly irrelevant as the staunchly patriotic Don Cherry rambles about musings better suited to an age when every player was nicknamed “Butch” and that a Swede was something related to jokes about corners. But as Cherry provides the antithesis to contemporary hockey analysis I once more find myself agreeing with his misty eyed old sch...
Last night a loud exhale could be heard across the Penguin Nation.
Finally, the Pens played a game with purpose and determination...and won.
There is hope that these guys can right the ship in time for the playoffs afterall.
The Penguins adopted a more conservative approach to last night's game, using a variation on the neutral zone trap...it really amounts to a 1...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
One Haymaker is not Enough - Hockey Fights Cancer
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.geocities.com/psmith25/pics/domi1prob.gif[/img]
Bob Probert, Stu "The Grim Reaper" Grimson, Tony Twist, Dave "The Hammer" Schultz, Tie Domi, Dave Brown, Marty McSorely, Tim Hunter, Dave Semenko, Joey Kocur, Dave "Tiger" Williams...you get the picture. These men were among the most legendary, intimidating forces in the game and could change the momentum ...
I have to admit I have been really guilty of walking around today and asking everyone if the saw the Flames/ Sharks game last night. So now that Flamestr and Vetter have both written on the subject I'll leave it alone and take a closer look at the North West. This is where I ask you to go read my previous blogs and I get to say I told you so...I love doing that.
I wrot...
Simon Gagne scored the game winning goal in the shootout, Antero Niittymaki made 32 saves, and the Flyers defeated the Panthers 3-2 tonight. To be quite honest, this was an ugly game, the Flyers did not play their best hockey, but the most important thing was that the Flyers got the two desperate points that they needed. Obviously, the Flyers have been struggling the last ...
TML35 writes...
The True Blue and White: No more Exceeding Expectations
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Half the season is over, and the leafs are finally beginning to show their true colors.
Burke isn't surprised, although he denies that he and his staff are quote "tanking," he says that these losses are just the growing pains of icing a young team. Growing pains that will deliver us a much needed 1st round pick. As always with rebuilding, and any city that has undergon...
One positive to take from tonight. Lombardi scored.
I know, it seems like something from a fantasy novel, but yes, Lombardi defied all critics and scored a goal. It was a goal that we have all expected the last three years. Will it happen again? probably not, but, he will score again, just like Holmstrom will score again. I am happy for him.
But focusing on the gam...
CAPMESS11 writes...
DOC EMRICK DRINKING GAME! EDDIE NO CHECK CALL PENS LOVE FEST
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So the Rangers lose in Pittsburgh, and all you have to do is ask every other team what they think of the officiating when you play SID. It's almost predictable what happens ( sure the pens had some jump) the Pens get the first few spotted. Then when they have a few on the board the Rangers can have a turn . I hate these NBC Games and anything on VS involving NY. It'...
Jesse Connolly's recent article, entitled "Why Alex Ovechkin Will Never Be the Face of the NHL" really got me pondering this question again, as I have so many times in my life. There has always been a player regarded as the face of the NHL, and that player was generally recognized as the best in the league at that time: Players like Richard, Howe, Orr, Gretzky and Lemieux ...
Obviously in any season, you are going to have your up's and down's, and the Flyers went through that a little bit so far this season. The Flyers failed to win a game in their first six games, as they lost 6 games(Sharks twice) to some elite teams. On opening night, the Flyers lost their home opener against the Rangers 4-3, then two nights later, they lost to Montreal 5-3....
Or so Mr. Campbell claimed when quoted by TSN. "We've all got obligations to the fans, the rights holders -- this game is being televised around the world."
Well, exactly how many people in the large USA hockey market of greater Detroit will be watching any of the All-Star festivities now with no Wings on the roster? Hope the rights holders and sponsors appreciate the n...
As we get ready for the second half of the season, I have my lead-pipe lock predictions for the second half. Some of my predictions will be positive, others will be negative.
1. The Columbus Blue Jackets will make the playoffs this season. Why? Steve Mason will single handedly lead them to the playoffs. Yes, I understand that he's a rookie and there is a possibility tha...
CAPMESS11 writes...
Fritsche ON WAIVERS, ISLANDERS? ROZSIVAL FOR PRONGER NEXT
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the lack of flexibility in the lineup and the Rangers strong need to carry a 7th D-man, Dan Fritsche was placed on waivers. I'm almost positive that a team will claim him and his salary of 875 k isn't a back breaker. I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the Island as Mike Sillinger is done for the year. Dan would get tons of ice time and can play both wing and ...
Ron Guillet writes...
Random Thoughts As The Leafs' Buns Are Still Red Hot
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
* Justin Pogge got his "pants pulled down", plain and simple. Considering he was playing his second NHL game, and his teammates were displaying their best Andy Wozniewski impersonations, I'd say he's deserving of a mulligan. While a couple of the goals were stoppable, it begs the question if ANY goaltender could of garnered a solid performance with the abysmal performances...
predram writes...
Preds win at the Garage+Sullivan, Sundin spotlight for TSN?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I was completely expecting a bore-fest at GM Place last night. The last few games between the Preds and Canucks have been exactly that. However, last night might have been the exception.
The Preds came into the game with a powerplay ranked 29th in the league. That kind of tells you how poor the team's top players have performed this year. OR it tells you how badly they ...
Think fast: it's February 20th. You're the general manager of a middle-market NHL franchise. Your team has done poorly in the standings over the past five years, but this year is different. They have been playing decent hockey and lie 1 point inside of the 7th seed.
In the past, this time of year meant one thing: selling. You'd sell a couple of players to playoff-w...
What an amazing game it was tonight for the Flyers. Unbelievable. The Flyers scored three goals in the third period, as they put a beating on the Bolts 6-1 tonight. Going into this game, I didn't think that the Flyers were going to score six goals against Mike Smith. Obviously, I'm a huge Mike Smith fan, and I would love to see him in a Flyers uniform. Luckily for the Flye...
Part of me is a diehard Pens fan and I will cheer for them until the bitter end.
That part won't let me throw in the towel until the final horn sounds.
But...the other part...the rational one...tells me that this team is simply not good enough to make the playoffs.
Last night's 4-3 loss to the Devils was a crusher. Tonight's loss to the Leafs may have been the na...
Recently I've seen a lot of questionable calls by officials on some hard hits in the NHL and NCAA. Cal Clutterbuck, for example, was given a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for his hit against Vancouver's Alex Burrows. Watching the game on Fox Sports I cannot help but ask if the NHL is trying to send a message that it wants to be the "No Hit League."
Did Clutterbuc...
I think now is a good time to address the young defensive players for the Islanders and how they seem to be doing. There are several of young, developing forwards, but really only two main defense-man that stand out with the near future, and a third that may end up as a contributor later in his career: Chris Campoli, Bruno Gervais, and Jack Hillen.
[b]Chris Campoli[/b]
...
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...
Huge huge huge huge huge awesome win for the Sabres. No, they didn't play outstanding, but their ability to get through the 1st period, score a couple goals in the 2nd, and hold on to the win in the 3rd against a division rival? Good enough for me at this point.
Yes, I think Canadiens really outplayed the Sabres. They seemed to have better control of the puck and wer...
Having completed part one of my team by team speculation in the South East division, for part two I figured I would jump across the continent and hit the North West division.
The North West is arguably the tightest division in terms of competition in the league. There are only 13 points as of tonight separating first through firth in the division, a lead any of the four...
That was the worst slump I've seen in a while for a team boasting that much talent. Like it or not, the Canucks are no NHL powerhouse, but they are a team with plenty of good players including 4 superstars, half a dozen excellent players and a handful of possible future superstars.
When a team like that goes off the rails the speculation starts flying. The coach takes...
I sat amongst a circle of friends last night, one of which was a Leaf fan. We were enjoying good conversation and the Leaf fan wanted to break from form and peek at the Leaf game on TV. To be honest, I had no interest in doing so but obliged him for a few moments. Then a typical Leaf/Hab jab moment ensued with him reminding me of last Saturday's drubbing of the Habs by ...
Slasher98 writes...
Time to Fire Guy Carbonneau: Montreal Canadiens Sinking Fast
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/106873/75061_feature.jpg[/img]
After the Canadiens' fourth consecutive loss against the Oilers yesterday, it is clear that the Canadiens players don't want to play for their coach anymore. They have lost nine of their past 11 games, during which they scored only 25 goals (2.27 GF per game) and surrendered an astounding 48 goal...
Here are the NHL's top rookies sorted by number of points....
Chris Versteeg(CHI)- 15 goals, 26 assists, and 41 points in 49 games played
Bobby Ryan(ANH)- 18 goals, 17 assists, and 35 points in only 39 games played
Patrik Berglund(STL)- 16 goals 19 assists, and 35 points in 49 games played
Blake Wheeler(BOS)- 15 goals, 18 assists, and 33 points in 55 games played
...
Will the real Carey Price please stand up please stand up. What a mess right now, that being said I fully believe he will turn it around.
We get hot wings and Cajun wings Wednesday after hockey, I don’t like the cajun wings, I just don’t.
The Niedermayers are first cousins with Jason Strudwick.
Glen Metropolit has played on 20 different teams in 14 years he’...
Many of us who were watching last night's game witnessed Luke Schenn accidently score on his own net. Now this isn't the first time that has happened to the Leafs. Stralman scoring twice in one game on himself, and the most memorable being Mr.McCabe's OT winner, for the Sabres. Now what I was wondering to myself as I watched the replay of the puck slide along the ice throu...
Despite a resurgent performance from Jarome Iginla, and an unbelievable performance from Miikka Kiprusoff, the Flames lost another heartbreaking game to the Vancouver Canucks, 4-3 in the shootout. When I use the word heartbreaking though, it doesn't necessarily mean the Flames deserved the game. Rather, the Flames lost this game because they threw it away in the third peri...
terpstradust writes...
Strange Hockey Facts, Hockey History, Hockey Day in Canada
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Alright I thought that with Hockey Day in Canada coming up I would do a piece on it and dive into the origins of the game we all love. I also got an idea from my fiancee to put a list of strange facts about the game at the end of this article, so any thanks for that piece go to her.
Now we can debate all day as to where our national passtime began, like whether it was i...
Steve Stamkos with the trick last week, welcome to the NHL kid.
Alexi Kovalev sent home for being Alexi Kovalev. Sending him home won't work, Alexi is a flake you just have to deal with it.
Ain't no party like a Kostitsyn brothers party because a Kostitsyn brother party don't stop. Get those two with the Staal brothers and we have trouble.
Have you ever hit black ...
General Manager Garth Snow decided to pull the trigger on a deal yesterday instead of waiting until the heavily anticipated March 4th trade deadline madness. In a deal with the Ottawa Senators receiving young defense-man Chris Campoli and center Mike Comrie, the Isles got back in return left-wing Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick in this year's draft.
With ...
With less than one year until the 2010 Winter Olympics take place in beautiful Vancouver BC, I thought it would be interesting to discuss and debate the possible players that could dawn the Maple leaf for the hometown/country squad.
It's been often said that Canada could ice two very competitve teams and this may be true, but what would be the best mix in your opinion ...
When the Penguins lost Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, and Jarkko Ruutu to free agency last summer, many observers thought that the team had lost too much grit to be successful this season.
Personally, when those players left, I wasn't immediately inclined to buy into that belief...I took the "wait and see" approach.
Well, I have waited...
and now I have seen...
[b]thos...
[IMG]http://g.imagehost.org/0469/blog1.jpg[/IMG]
Salut salut,
Premièrement, je voudrais souligner que je suis un grand fan de HockeyBuzz. Je fréquente le site depuis longtemps et je le considère comme une excellente source d'information sur le hockey.
Je suis, comme vous l'avez surement deviné, partisan du CH. Je suis loin d'être un expert, mais j'ai une op...
With both teams fighting for home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs, the Canadiens square off against the Flyers tonight at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia. The Canadiens will line up against a Flyers offense that has been scoring at will as of late, and who will only get stronger with the long awaited return of Daniel Briere. Briere will look to seamles...
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...
After a pair of losses, the Flyers look to be a team needing help and solidification to a number of aspects to their game. And while I won't attempt to make excuses for the two losses, it is actually isn't all that surprising that the Flyers lost.
The Flyers lost to Montreal because of a 3 minute lapse in judgement and a couple of crazy bounces. To top it all off, the...
It's really quite simple. The salary cap (and Sather's spending) has ruined this team for the mid-long term. It would be great if the cap was, I dunno, $70 million, but that's not going to happen in this economy, and with 30 teams.
So why Avery? Well, I'm a numbers guy, and Avery's numbers are impressive with his time on the Rangers, both season and post season.
[b...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Final Countdown & Beasts to Leasts in the East
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b][i]It's the final countdown...[/i][/b]
[img]http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p26/n0mem0ry/timebomb.jpg[/img]
You can almost hear the screaming lyrics from the 1980s, Swedish glam rock, [b]Mega-group[/b], [i][b]Europe[/b][/i] (??)
[u]OK...retraction [/u]
How about the one hit wonder group, [i]Europe[/i].(better?)
[img]http://i228.photobucket.com/albums/e...
After my last blog about the Flyers possibly getting Pronger and Guerin, it is a wonder I even want to write another blog...but I figure that if I was wrong before, I have to be right this time.
What am I right about? Daniel Carcillo is a good fit in Philadelphia.
There are a number of factors necessary to truly appreciate the meaning of this deal:
1 - The deal ...
I have to say, when I first read about Upshall (and a 2nd) being traded for Carcillo I was pretty upset. Having given things time to digest, I'm not so upset. While I think the Yotes may have gotten the best of Homer on this one, this [i]could[/i] end up working out ok for the Flyers.
While I really loved what Upshall brought to the team and believe he has a higher ce...
The first game with Jokinen is in the books and was a success, that line will not be that great every night but it did look very solid! Having said that, and assuming the Flames will win the Stanley cup (7-1 odds in Vegas right now) then a quick look into the summer might be worth while.
The players that could leave are Cammalleri, Bertuzzi, Roy, Moss, Aucoin and Leop...
Miller who?
Of course, I say that facetiously. Ryan Miller is the key to the Sabres hopes if they can pull it together to get into the playoffs.
But who would have expected Patrick Lalime to step up the way he has in Miller's absence?
He's done exactly what you want from your backup goaltender - step in and give your team a chance to win every single night he pla...
The National Hockey League (NHL) is the largest-scale professional ice hockey league in the world. Its ability to attract the most talented players from around the world has enabled it to grow from a small, six team, regional league in the 1950s to the thirty franchise NHL of present day. Notwithstanding the League’s concerted effort at continued growth and expansion, ...
Takhar7 writes...
Gainey gives Carbonneau the boot! + van Ryn out for season.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
A good friend of mine, a die-hard Habs fan and a habitual pain in my rear when the Leafs and Canadien play each other in their mammoth hockey clashes, uttered words of shock and horror just moments after he had found out about the Montreal Canadiens firing Carbonneau.
If you haven't heard - Guy Carbonneau has been fired by the Montreal Canadiens, with Bob Gainey taking ...
So we are into the nailbiting time of the season. Every game matters. Can we do it? Use this link to follow the preds chances.
http://www.sportsclubstats.com/NHL/Western/Central/Predators.html
The one thing I do believe, is that regardless of whether we can make the playoffs, we are not a playoff hockey team. If we make it it, it will be more b/c of what others ...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Face Huge Mountain To Climb To Prove Themselves
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Calgary Flames caught a fairly big break last night, as the Vancouver Canucks were whipped in Phoenix by the floundering Coyotes, ensuring the Flames keep for the time being their slim three point lead on the Northwest Division. How much does the Canucks blowing an easy opportunity and lowering the magic number by two points mean for the Flames? It helps a small bit, b...
Claude Giroux was the Flyers first round pick (22nd overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
If you're a Flyers fan, by now, you know who Claude Giroux is. If you live and die hockey, you know who Claude Giroux is. If you're just an average fan or you just follow one team without really knowing what goes on around the league, well this blog will let you know who Cl...
[code]
Claude Giroux was the Flyers first round pick (22nd overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.
If you're a Flyers fan, by now, you know who Claude Giroux is. If you live and die hockey, you know who Claude Giroux is. If you're just an average fan or you just follow one team without really knowing what goes on around the league, well this blog will let you know wh...
Don Cherry decides that Alexander Ovechkin went overboard on his celebration. I really do not understand why this is an issue. What is wrong with a player celebrating scoring their 50th goal? Pretending his stick is hot when scoring his 50th goal for the third straight year seems to have become a crime. I say it's great for the NHL to have a superstar with character. Chara...
Well its that time of year again and the quest for the postseason is heating up. I have yet to see the infamous Brad Ratgen playoff quest blogs so I decided to chip in with my own picks.
Here are the current standings:
Western Conference
1. Y - San Jose 107
2. X - Detroit 107
3. Calgary 90
4. Chicago 89
5. Vancouver 87
6. Columbus 83
7. Anaheim 80
8. E...
Since we have not heard anything from Matt, I decided to chime in and get the discussion started.
Last night's win was, I think, defining for this Canes team. After starting a bit slow and giving up a late 1st period goal on an odd man rush, the Hurricanes played an absolutely solid game in. They bided their time and outskated the Devils until the tide turned. Once t...
We have all heard NHL bloggers, announcers, beat writers, and fans refer to the omni-present "HOCKEY GODS". These unseen forces, that protect the integrity and well being of the game as we know it, have been offended! Thats Right fellow Hockey Fans, the same City (Montreal) and its fans, who in the past paid homage to the HOCKEY GODS have sinned against the Gods in 2008-20...
At a certain point you have to get sick and tired of people harping on Carey Price. The only reason that everyone gets down on him is that he was made out to be the next great thing. This year the kid will be 22 years of age, and still has ton of potential and could have a great career in the NHL. This is unless our brilliant fans run him out of the building first. ...
FLAMESTR writes...
Heart to Heart Conversation to Canucks and Observations
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b]A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THE PAYATT FAMILY[/b]
[b]
When you think of hockey, it’s just a game. Just a game. I, for one, was deeply saddened by the news of Taylor Pyatt losing his fiancé. My heart and condolences go out to Taylor’s family and to all the Canucks fans. We may cheer against them, but that’s just part of the game. God be with you, Taylor, the fans ar...
[b][quote]Right now the Rangers have a 54.3% chance of making the playoffs.
If the Rangers win that changes to 73.7%.
If the Rangers lose that changes to 33.8%[/quote][/b]
[i]-SportsClubStats.com[/i]
Important is the wrong word. Important is back in March when you are hovering around sixth place. Once you get to April and you are tied for the final playoff spot, it i...
[b]Remaining Schedules[/b]
[u]Boston[/u]
Doesn't matter they are #1
[u]Washington[/u]
TB- Win
Panthers - Loss
[b]108 points[/b]
[u]NJD[/u]
Sens - Win
Canes - Loss
[b]104 points[/b]
[u]PHI[/u]
NYR - OT Loss
NYI - Win
NYR - Win
[b]102 points[/b]
[u]CAR[/u]
Buff - Loss (trap game)
NJD - Win
[b]99 points[/b]
[u]Pitt[/u]
NYI - Win
Montreal - ...
[b]Western Conference:
San Jose Sharks (1) vs Anaheim Ducks (8)
Preseason odds: Sharks 10/1 Ducks 12/1
Last 10: Bruins 5-4-1, Ducks 7-2-1
Season Series: Sharks win 4-2-0
Overview:[/b]
Perennial cup hopefuls San Jose enter the playoffs with their franchise first Presidents trophy. Anaheim, cup winners just two seasons ago, were talking in terms of team gutting prior...
Last year Philly came into the playoff series against the Penguins with the intention of pounding them into the boards on every shift - and it the process - they hoped to pound the life out of Pittsburgh.
The result...Pens won the series in 5 games.
A couple of years earlier, in a regular season match-up in Philly, Derrian Hatcher pounded on the face of, then rookie,...
As we have moved through the season, I've had an eye toward the playoffs with my Flyers and have noticed a few shortcomings which I felt would prevent them from being able to get out of the conference to challenge for the Stanley Cup to be real contenders; [i]not [/i]pretenders as they are now.
Don't get me wrong. Coming off of a season where the home team couldn't eve...
Good God, what is happening to the NHL? Suspensions for "sending a message"? This has been part of the game since the beginning of time. What exactly is "sending a message"? The ultimate purpose of every hockey fight is to "send a message". Will fighting result in automatic suspensions?
Don't get me wrong, I believe that players that use their sticks as club weapons in...
I have to admit that when Campbell issued a "warning" to the Flyers last season about injuring players I was pretty pissed. The spent the rest of the season paying for it with penalty after penalty. Pretty brutal to put a team under the microscope a month before playoffs. I thought that they were getting too involved but figured it was a one time thing.
Needless to say...
It is much more than just a loss. All of the confidence the Rangers seemed to have after taking two games in Washington is gone. All of the frustrations experienced by the Capitals have dissipated. Look at the players and at the coaches and it is obvious which team is believes and expects to win, and which team is just hoping. Despite being up 2-1 in the series, the backs ...
FLAMESTR writes...
Observations of the week as Normal An Apology to Amercians
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
There is only one thing on my mind. Well, two, but both basically stem from the same problem. I really kind of hoped that violence in the League would have at least cooled down for the playoffs. Well, to my disgust, there have been three major incidents, and probably could have been more.
The three major incidents that I am talking about during the playoffs are the ...
Just finished watching the Sharks/Ducks game, and all I can say is wow! It is so nice watching the other teams play where you can enjoy it to it's fullest, but later on tonight will not be the case. The all important Game 4 between New York and Washington. The Rangers have had a couple days to recover from their 4-0 loss in Game 3. Now all Rangers fans can do is ask the sa...
A few things occured to me while I was gnawing on my Devils "terrible towel" during game 4 of this Devils/Canes series.
First off, this is best series being played in the NHL right now. You've got 2 former Stanley Cup champs battling it out with a Hall of Fame goaltender vs probably the best young, most underrated goaltender in the NHL. Stanley Cup rookie MVP anyone?? 3 o...
Yeah Boyes writes...
Controversial Disallowing of Goal is too much for Blues
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Blues applied their best pressure of the series late in the second period last night. They tied the score at 2-2 with two goals and again had the puck in front of the net and close to the goal line. Luongo never appeared to have the puck covered as it was sliding around in the crease area and eventually crossed the line and into the net.
It was ruled that the puck h...
Looking back on the Centennial season, the first emotions that come to mind are disappointment and frustration.
Did the Canadiens overachieve last year? Probably. Did they underachieve this year? Not in my opinion, if you consider the facts and the obstacles the 2008-09 Canadiens had to face all season long.
First of all, the team's President, Pierre Boivin, has n...
Game 5 proved to be the pinnacle of goaltending in the playoffs so far. Ward was better than Marty in my opinion, but what do i know, Ive only been a goalie since I was 6. 86 shots, 1 goal. And that goal by Clarkson was maybe his best goal of the year. Clarkson 2 goals, Staal 2 goals, hold on wait, what? Marty made a statement tonight with a career high 44 save shutoot, a...
The story is known around the league. A team left for dead at the halfway point by bloggers, journalists, and insiders alike. A team depleted by injuries mid way through their rebuild. Fans are talking Tavares vs. Hedman and if the Western Conference cellar dwellers will play as bad as the East to get a shot at the Canadian Sniper or the Swedish Pronger.
Enter the Manny...
That word about sums up the Flyers season. That is the reason why they got the 5th seed when they could have achieved more, and ultimately why they lost this series. They look like Stanley Cup contenders one game, scrubs the next.
Jeff Carter. 46 goals in the regular season, 1 in the postseason. The successor to John LeClair, I suppose. They say he was playing hurt, but...
Just a quick observation:
It seems to me that the Rangers' series against the Caps has been somewhat of a microcosm of their entire season.
Part A: The fast start. The Rangers jumped out 2-0 on the caps, away from home, much as they seemed unstoppable for the first month of the regular season.
Part B: The slow down/collapse. Despite the huge advantage, the Rangers...
Lets see, where do I begin. Lets start with Devils/Canes series. Can game 6 possibly be better than the first 5? The answer is yes, but we'll see tonight. We have had everything in this one so far, great goalies, scoring chances, organized hockey, and everything you wanted out of 2 loud arenas. Looks like the captain is in tonight, Holik "The Caveman" out.
Chicago/Calgar...
There is not much else to say about this series. The Capitals are far superior to the Rangers. The edge held by the Rangers has disappeared. The decisive Game 7 is in Washington. And the Rangers are going to lose.
Game 7. The thing about these games is that any team can win on any night and that holds true for the ultimate game of the playoffs series. The Rangers aren'...
As Blair Betts lay on the ice yesterday afternoon, again the Gary Bettman Gestapo neglected to make a legit call in favor of the Rangers. It's become, predictable that the officials will miss a Capital crosscheck to the back of Avery. They failed blatantly in game 4 to rescue themselves as Callahan hit the ice with a trip and 18,000 fans managed to witness the crime. B...
I'm sure you all heard this during yesterday's Rangers vs Capitals game on NBC, when Mike Millbury came out and called Sean Avery an idiot, then the announcers had a good chuckle about it.
So let me get this straight. It's cool for Millbury to call Avery an idiot on a channel 4, [b]NATIONALLY TELEVISED GAME[/b] but if Avery says "sloppy seconds" in Canada, it's a suspen...
Its eerily quiet in Newark this morning as I walk past the arena to work. Im not going to lie to you, I got a little chill thinking what was going to take place later on. A lot of nervous energy.
Game 7 of round 1, who thought there could be this much drama in the 1st round? The Devils need to get straight, quick. Game 7's are about Captains, and Langenbrunner has to hav...
You may recall that, last spring, Capitals owner [b]Ted Leonsis[/b], who gets full marks for enthusiasm and accessibility, used the platform of his blog on USAToday.com to post his "Take" on the fans of Philadelphia:
=====
[i][b]Day 6: Tuesday, April 15 (Flyers 6, Capitals 3)[/b]
My family and partners traveled to Philadelphia —the city of brotherly love. After ...
I have never seen that in my life! 2 goals in the final 1:20 to advance to the next round instead of the golf course. Crazy! What effort by Gleason to keep the puck in for Jokinen to tie it ... and Staal has been simply incredible the entire series. TWO teams come back from 3-1 series deficits to win the series. That should change some percentages a bit.
GREAT NIGH...
let me gather my notes and thoughts and all the alcohol i have left in my house. a great blog to break down game 7 coming tomorrow no doubt. i was there, i witnessed what happened and its anybody but marty's fault. the guy played his a$$ off. stunnnned.
So I was 7 for 8 in 1st round predictions (Sharks....tsk tsk tsk). Not only did they screw up my predictions but my playoff pools are done!
On to Round 2:
[b]Boston (1) vs. Carolina (6) -[/b] This will be a great series. I like Carolina but Boston, after disposing of the Canadiens in 4 straight are riding high with confidence - I'll go [b]Bruins in 6[/b].
[b]Was...
MichaelBernard writes...
Worst Loss in Devil's Playoff History, What a Disgrace.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Now that Ive had time to digest last night’s loss to Carolina, I can say this. Worst loss in Devil’s playoff history. No you say? You think the loss to Colorado was worse, you’re wrong. After a great season of chasing Boston for the top spot in the east with a backup goalie in net for most of the season, and records being shattered, it wasn’t supposed to end like t...
Like everyone else, I’ll give my predictions for this upcoming 2nd playoff round of the greatest sport on planet earth. Let me get one thing off my chest before we start. Goalies will make and break everyone of these matchups, and are MY key to who I think wins each series.
[i][b]Pens vs Caps: [/b][/i]
Everyone sees Ovechkin and thinks this one is gonna be close. I...
After losing 4-3 and falling into a 2-0 hole to the Washington Capitals many may think it is time to panic for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I disagree. Watching the game tonight I saw exactly what I expected to see: Ovechkin versus Crosby in a fast-paced, hard hitting matchup. Both teams controlled the puck well in the offensive zone and at times it seemed like the ice was tit...
One week after being ousted out of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Calgary Flames have packed up their bags and headed off to their respected off season homes. Let’s talk about the front office and bench bosses for the Flaming C.
Darryl Sutter was brought into the organization in 2002 to be the Flames head coach and General Manager. In his first full season in 03-...
MichaelBernard writes...
Versus doesn't show National Anthem in Chicago?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Versus dropped the ball last night missing the National Anthem in Chicago. They interview Sharp before the game and he says he can't wait for the anthem, then they don't show it. Get with it Versus. I mean, its no Wayne Messmer from '91 All Star Game, (see below) but still, they should have showed it.
MB
Wayne Messmer = http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvpxVE_kQXg
Can we really hang this years early playoff exit on Sutter? The guy who has brought our beloved Flames to the post season for five straight seasons, and one of them to the Stanley Cup Finals? The guy who created what I think is one of the most talented teams we Calgarians has seen since the 80's? I say no. Here's why.
Our team was performing well up until February. We t...
After the Penguins fell into a 2-0 series hole to the Washington Capitals, I wrote a blog about how it wasn't time to panic yet for the birds. Crosby had been spectacular, and they were getting scoring from stay-at-home defenseman Mark Eaton (who?). But there were things the Penguins needed to work on.
One of those things was puck posession. The Pens had not been good o...
1) [u]Coaching[/u] – My first engagement in the Flames’ off-season moves would be to make a coaching change. But, unlike most of the outcry from Flames fans and media, I would not fire Mike Keenan as head coach. I know most fans are calling for Keenan’s head I believe that (other than the constant line-juggling and “strong encouragement” to have Kipper play all ...
I wish I had more time to write, but it's HNIC (Hockey Night in Cranford) and we've got games on in like a half hour. No call on Ovi's hit? Horrible. 2 minutes is nothing. The hold on Chara? Not that it would have mattered, Carolina is Dominating, notice the capital D. Playoff experience I guess. I was wrong on my second round calls, but it happens. I dont think Boston wi...
Jim Balsillie is at it again as he tries once again to bring the NHL to southern Ontario. You have to give him marks for determination, once again making an offer to buy the Phoenix Coyotes. This being the third attempt to buy a team to bring them to Hamilton.
I really have nothing against Jim; heck, I do not even know him. Obviously he is a huge hockey fan. He is a ver...
Is anybody really surprised this series is tied at 3 and heading toward a game 7 thriller Wednesday night in DC?
I'm not.
In fact, through 6 games we have seen just about everything we expected to see.
Great offensive playmaking and goals.
Great skill and determination by the 3 best forwards in the league.
Key contributions from 2nd, 3rd and 4th line players...
[b]The Save[/b]
I wrote a couple of days back that Marc Andre Fleury needed to be in #1 star form for the Penguins to advance in the playoffs. That he had to find a way to play his BEST in game 7.
Fleury ended up being the #3 star in the game...and as it turns out, he really didn't need to be #1 with the way the rest of his team handled the Capitals on Wednesday night...
So, here we are. Game Seven. "All of the marbles." "Win or go home." "The whole enchilada" "Play like there's no tomorrow." "Get busy livin', or get busy dyin'."
There are endless cliches you could use to describe the intensity surrounding the Bruins-Hurricanes matchup in Boston tonight (8pm, NESN, TSN, RIS; bonus coverage on Versus following the Wings-Ducks concl...
As has been pointed out numberous times by NHL.com, the Associated Press, ESPN and some of the bloggers here on Hockeybuzz.com, Pittsburgh's 6-2 rout of their playoff rival Washington Capitals was an anticlimatic end to an otherwise amazing series.
Looking at the series by the numbers we could not have asked for anything more from the leauges brightest stars - Alexande...
I was wrong on my Boston in 4 predicition, but who wouldn't have thought the B's were gonna roll through Carolina after their dismantling of Montreal like they did. Down 3-1 in the series, I thought for sure Boston was done. When Boston tied it up 2-2 in game 7 that changed my mind a bit. Then came overtime. What pure domination Carolina showed through the first 10 minutes...
This NHL post-season must be a dream come true for Gary Bettman. His marketing team hasn't had to do any real work to sell these playoffs; they've sold themselves. Look at the excitement of the first round where we watched Boston against Montreal in an original six rivalry match, Pittsburgh against their hated rival Philadelphia, San Jose and archrival Anaheim in the first...
After an exciting second round of playoff action that saw three series go the distance and pitted the league’s top young stars - Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby - against each other. Many thought there would be a let-down after the excitement of the Conference Semifinals, but the four teams that advanced have offered enough storylines to at least keep us mildly inte...
The Chicago Black Hawks made me a believer once again as they passed the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the playoffs. Mr. Patrick Kane showed to the hockey world why he is one of the best players in the world. Particularly, the seventh goal in game 6 was sick. It was terrific back hand.
While I am at it, that game six was one of the most entertaining games I ...
Interpretation is one of the most aggravating words in the English language. Everyone knows what is being said in a certain situation, and then you hear that it’s all in the interpretation. So many people interpret the same words totally differently.
For instance, take this November 14th proxy the League and Mr. Mays are having fits over. You see, it’s all in the i...
mslepp writes...
Back to Basics for the Flames? Memorial Cup and Wings/Hawks
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]The Calgary Flame Coaching Carousel[/b]
It wasn't quite as big of a jolt as the hiring of Mike Keenan, but the firing did come as a bit of a surprise. Not because of Iron Mike's firing, but because it was leaked to the media, late Friday afternoon. The timing alone tells you this is not what Darryl Sutter wanted, but the whole Keenan "era" (mess might be a better w...
Memo to Bettman:
Don't move up the Stanley Cup Finals without checking Yanni's schedule at the Igloo,first.
And where is that Pan Flute guy playing these days?
And don't forget the WWF. Your pals back at the NBA had to pay big bucks to resolve that conflict with the wrestlers in Denver.
At least they got swept. Holik OUT, Havelid OUT! Im ready for the home opener. Bring on Phaneuf!! Good Call Ek. Rest in Peace Peter Zezel.
Down with the Wings.
With the firing of Mike Keenan and the letting go of the rest of the coaching staff, the Flames now sit with a vacant coaching staff. In Sutter’s press conference yesterday he mentioned that there are three qualified people in line for the Head Coach position and a fourth, Darryl himself. He stated that he was the best candidate for the position and if he can not find a...
Laplante writes...
Bob Gainey on how to pull off a perfect Kansas City Shuffle
Posted Monday | Comments 0
''Its a blindfold kick back type of a game
Called the Kansas City Shuffle
Whereas you look left and they fall right
Into the Kansas City Shuffle
Its a they-think you-think you don't know
Type of Kansas City hustle
Where you take your time
Wait your turn
And hang them up, and out to dry''
It was just last night that I was watching the movie [i]Lucky Number Slevin...
Okay folks, time to play GM once again and figure out what the team is going to look like next season...
[u][b]Under Contract Cap Hits[/b][/u]
(all numbers in Millions)
[i]Forwards[/i]
Eric Staal- $8.25m
Rod Brind'amour- $3.6
Ray Whitney- $3.55
Matt Cullen- $2.875
Sergei Samsonov- $2.533
Scott Walker- $2.5
Patrick Eaves- $1.4
Brandon Sutter- $1.04
Zac Boy...
I have read a lot of comments lately...many unhappy "non Penguin" fans out there.
A lot of them are angry at Sid for the "Handshake Debacle".
Honestly...I think Sid should have been at the front of the line and he wasn't. Shame on him for that. He was clearly too caught up in the moment.
Do I think he PURPOSEFULLY skipped certain players...NO. I do think he should...
Dear Mike Gillis,
First of all Mr. Gillis I would like to take deep exception to the fact you signed Burrows to an extension that clearly makes sense. As a Calgary Flames Fan I am used to other division General Managers (cough lowe cough cough) making horribly large and exorbitant signings that greatly increase our chances and this clearly goes against everything I was ...
If Barack Obama is the people’s President, Judge Wapner was head of The People’s Court, and The Rock is the People’s Champion, then surely Steve Yzerman is the People’s Captain.
Yzerman had a long, 23-year NHL career. Not all of it was pretty, not all of it was good, but Yzerman left the game in 2006 as one of the most beloved players to have ever laced up a pa...
Moving into the Calgary Flames thirtieth season, we as fans have been given hope for a chance to move forward from a disappointing end to a very promising season. Today at 3PM local Darryl Sutter has announced a new coaching staff for the Calgary Flames, bringing in his brother Brent Sutter, Former flames Dave Lowry and Jamie McLennan, and Former head coach of the Quad Cit...
Brent Sutter was introduced as the new Head Coach of the Calgary Flames today; the 4th Head Coach in the past 5 seasons. As well Ryan McGill, Dave Lowry, and Jamie McClennan were named as Assistant coaches. A decision met with a lot of scepticism by the local media and fanbase, the Flames now have 5 Sutter’s working within the organization. General Manager Darryl, Dire...
5:45am
According to www.eliteprospects.com Sergei Fedorov has signed a two-year deal with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL.
source 1: http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=da&sl=auto&tl=en&u=http://www.metallurg.ru/news/48165/&rurl=translate.google.com
source 2: http://www.hockeysverige.se/news_show_nu-ar-det-klart---fjodorov-till-khl.html?id=7974389
This is only my second blog on this site and has to be short and sweet since I do not have much time. I just wanted to share my thoughts about which players the Sharks should keep, as well as hear some input from other Sharks fans.
I think there are only three players that I would be really upset to see go and they are:
1 - Dan Boyle: He is my choice for Captain next...
I am just curious to know how many Canucks fans want the Sedins back and what your thoughts are on them signing a 12 year deal?
Also I still don't believe that Gaborik rumors, he is highly skilled. But Gillis likes grit and Gaborik has been prone to injury.
I have a weird feeling that Sundin will be back next season. I'd really like to see Wellwood back with a 2 ye...
It's that dreaded time of the year when the excitement of the draft is over and the anticipation of July 1st for Free Agency day is just starting to kick in.
It should be a day of even more nervousness for Canucks fans, as it could be the end of an era here in Vancouver should the Sedin twins hit the open market and sign with another team. It's suspected that long-time ...
Brian Burke has not publicly stated who he'll be targeting on July 1st, but logic dictates his focus will be deadlocked on Unrestricted Free Agents Mike Cammalleri or the Sedins.
After many critics--fans and writers alike--expressed their discontent towards Burke's inactivity at the NHL Entry Draft last weekend, you can bet Burke will be looking to make a big splash onc...
Just wondering through written word, what my beloved hockey team will look like next season. With their reluctance to ever sign impact UFA's from other teams over the summer and their hesitation to tender contracts to their own UFA's thus far I dont see a marked improvement on last season. Unless some speculated signings are actually executed, this is not going to be a pre...
July 1st is tomorrow, folks. Where has the time gone? Not complaining, though, I couldn't be happier as I prepare to bask in the excitement of the Free Agency Frenzy.
Oh, and it's also Canada Day, too.
Brian Burke, after failing to make his mark at the NHL Entry Draft, will presumably have big plans for tomorrow. He loves the limelight, after all, so it wouldn't surpr...
"The Monster" wants to wait past July 1 to decide - my take, he's hoping to see if one of his favored teams is active ....it could mean he wants to see who will play in front of him, or if it will be a Swede friendly dressing room, or which team will have the most available cash to offer him. It could also be a question of who is in front of him. I don't see Dallas making ...
Word is just coming in; Scott Gomez's time on Manhattan is at an end. Gomez was dealt today to the Montreal Canadiens with F Tom Pyatt and D Michael Busto in exchange for RFA Forward Chris Higgins and D Ryan McDonagh and D Pavel Valentenko. The Canadiens were known to be actively looking for a #1 Center and after exploring trade options for Vinny Lecavalier, appear to have...
Let me start by saying that I am a Leafs fan and in no way shape or form do I have a liking for the Ottawa Senators. I wanted to ask the masses of people out there if Dany Heatley may have a point in all of this. Personally, I think Heatley is a bum and that he will get what he deserves (contract ripped up, lifelong injury etc...).
I was quite disapointed for Ottawa...
Since before the March 4 trade deadline the big question has been where will Jay Bouwmeester end up? The 25-year-old defenceman was involved in trade rumors that had him going to Philadelphia, but the deal never materialized. Then the question was with whom would he sign? Then we paused and remembered his rights could be traded at the draft for picks, which is exactly what...
Ok, first I would like to say that resigning the Sedin twins was clearly the right move to make. Working on this extension with Lou, also a great idea and a huge piece of the puzzle. Now these were difinitely my main concerns with our team is the future of those huge components. Now, that being said where is the improvement? Gabs....gone Mike Cam....gone Brian Gionta....go...
What a difference a day makes, eh? Wow. I am still not really sure how I feel about all of the moves that Bob Gainey made over the last 48 hours. To be honest, I'm not sure what I expected Gainey to do. I guess if there's one thing I've learned over Gainey's tenure, its that you should always expect the unexpected!
Gainey seems to have a knack of zigging when you ...
Is that a knife in my back, or are you just happy to leave me? And by me, I mean us...and by us I mean Habs fans.
As much as the loss of Komisarek from the Canadiens lineup is hard to swallow, the way in which it was done makes it all the more painful. Now that the details are coming out, it is looking like Komisarek went to Toronto for a measley 2.5 million more than...
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...
1. Dustin Boyd:
He's shown he can score, 11G and 11A in a limited 4th line grinder role, Can he play top 6?
2. The Flames D:
Seeing as it is very much stacked...
Nuef-J.Bo
Regher-Sarich
Pardy-Gio
Pelech
Can we afford to trade away Cory Sarich and his big contract? I mean I love the guy, but shedding salary, and maybe picking up a top 6 forward.
3 Lack of of...
This is the second in a series of NHL Off-Season Progress Reports. Today I look at the Northeast Division and assign grades based on what has already been done and what still needs to be done. Of course there is still plenty of time for teams to plug holes so I’ll analyze what still needs to be done and how much cap room the team has left to fill those holes.
Boston
...
sbtricky writes...
Ohh Canada - Early Predictions for Canada's '10 Olympic Team
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The "list" has been released, and save for a few surprise (and glaring!) omissions, most of the list is what any Canadian hockey fan expected to see. Sidney Crosby, Vinny Lecavalier, Chris Pronger, Roberto Luongo - just to name a few of the expected "locks" for the team. How will the rest of the team shape up after a disappointing 7th place showing in Turin, Italy?
Her...
Montreal trades Christopher Higgins, Ryan McDonagh, Pavel Valentenko & Doug Janik to New York for Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt and Mike Busto.
Montreal landed their long sought-after #1 Centre on Tuesday, but it wasn't the Flying Frenchman that everyone expected. GM Bob Gainey felt the price was too high for Vincent Lecavalier and instead settled for an overpaid, underac...
Spacepawn writes...
Habs RFAs and UFAs Forwards Are Worth Less - Part 1 of 2
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens had the most players to re-sign or seek out this 2009 off-season. Might be a new NHL record to add to the list of Habs records. The team's GM, Bob Gainey, at the time of the NHL Draft, had 11 players signed and $33 million of cap space remaining. While some teams will be opting for minimum cap this coming season, Montreal will remain a contender for ...
Alexei Kovalev, formerly of the Habs, is the best remaining NHL free agent of the crop. Although it was widely reported on July 1 that he had agreed to a 2-year deal with Montreal with an annual salary of $4.4 or $4.5 million, this is clearly not the case. Monitreal has assembled their first line (Gomez/Gionta/Cammalleri) through free agency, and their is no room for Koval...
It is very difficult to predict how a team will perform during a season. I think this holds true for the New York Rangers. They were able to rid themselves of under-achieving Scott Gomez and were able to pick up Marian Gaborik and Chris Higgins which were two great moves for the team. These were good acquisitions but the signing of Donald Brashear for $1.4 million ...
With the recent signings of Cam Barker and Kris Versteeg to nearly identical 3 year contracts worth more than $9 million each, it appears that the Hawks have dodged the proverbial bullet with regards to the NHLPA grievance over the Hawks handling of the RFA tender notices. After all, if the players had any desire to test the market and consider offers from other teams they...
Spacepawn writes...
Habs RFAs and UFAs Forwards Are Worth Less - Part 2 of 2
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is part 2 and final of a two-piece article writing about the value of Montreal Canadiens UFAs and RFAs from the 2008-09 season.
In part 1, I covered the big name Habs UFAs and compared them to the new recruits. In short, the value of the UFAs were on average lower than that of the new signings. And as the new signings are more or less all younger (exception is Ale...
Why is Zherdev looking for more money. $3.25 million is enough for an enigmatic forward who plays his hardest for about 1/4 of the games. He should put up with the money the money the Rangers qualified him at. If he refuses to sign for the $3.25 million I and the Rangers won't be expecting him back in Broadway Blue. I'll keep you posted as the Rangers RFA situation slowly ...
Alright, time to get some frustrations of mine off my mind.
I've been browsing around the Canadiens' facebook groups recently, and I've been noticing people bashing #84.
The arguments about him is that he has not improved in three NHL seasons thus far. Um, last time I checked he was 22 years old, with size and plenty of upside. Give the guy time. Patience seems to b...
hockeyfan89 writes...
Canadiens get face lift , but still not looking that great
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well the dust has settled , and the once cloudy future of the Montreal Canadiens has become a bit clearer. With the clarity though comes a none to welcome sight . The Montreal Canadiens , after years of conservative spending , have for once spent to much .
With the handing out of several large contracts, the most notable being the 5 year 25 million dollar contract to G...
Although I did enjoy watching the Blackhawks have a great run this year, especially considering I am a huge fan of Patrick Kane, I was still keeping a close eye on the RFA situation that has been playing out over the past several days in hopes that it could benefit the Islanders. I am sure many of you have been doing the same as well. Yes, call me selfish all you want for ...
HI everyone I hope you are having good summers.
If you are in hockey withdrawal, I would like to suggest attending your local prospect camp. These camps are generally free to watch. You get to see your future players and new draft picks.
Flyers prospect camp as a special event at the Jersey shore. It is called Trial on the Isle.
The players split into 3 grou...
When we look at the projected Islanders line-up for next season, we are able to notice two things: several important overall changes and several gaping holes that still remain. Obviously the addition of John Tavares will be a pleasant change to an offensively starved lineup, as long as he can transcend his OHL scoring abilities to the NHL level. Besides his marketability, ...
Blog #3, maybe this one will actually appear on ‘myhockeybuzz’ or on Eric Engals’ page!
Basically, I am here to continue my unfortunate stream of pessamistic emails, and to tell you exactly why I believe that the Montreal Canadiens will not win a cup in the next five years, and why exactly I hated the Gomez trade.
First of all though, I will say that I liked th...
gou23 writes...
Eastern Conference Standings for 2010 Who's Up, Who's Down
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Eastern Conference final stadings from last year
1 -Boston 116
2 -Washington 108
3 -New Jersey 106
4 -Pittsburgh 99
5 -Philadelphia 99
6 -Carolina 97
7 -NY Rangers 95
8 -Montreal 93
9 Florida 93
10 Buffalo 91
11 Ottawa 83
12 Toronto 81
13 Atlanta 76
14 Tampa Bay 66
15 NY Islanders 61
This year we should see a few teams flip flop with some new...
HI everyone Flyers prospect camp fell during my busiest week of the summer.
I had the pleasure to go Friday and Sunday.
Friday the Orange team again beat the very talented black 2-1.
Today the black team won in a shoot out care of Mr Dingle.
Pat Maroon continues to dominate during this camp. He really is a presence there.
Riopel and Morrison did excel...
Kamal Panesar writes...
A Farewell to Kings - Goodbye Koivu and thank you....
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Saku Koivu era, in Montreal, is officially over. Sadly, he went out with a whimper and not a roar. Left unsigned and not tendered an offer by the only organization that he had ever played for, Koivu had no choice but to ride off into the sunset. Not by his choosing, of course, as Saku would still be a part of the Montreal Canadiens organization if it was up to him.
...
Terms of deal are unknown but he has re-signed with the team. Good news finally for us Ranger fans.
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...
A few years ago Darcy Regier faced some important decisions when addressing his pending unrestricted free agents. The first test was Drury and Briere then a season later it was Brian Campbell. The final test came when he matched the Edmonton Oilers offer sheet for Vanek.
Looking at back at all the scenerio's Darcy paid the one guy that was worth the money he signed ...
http://islesnet.blogspot.com
As you can tell, it has been quite the confusing day or two for Islanders fans in terms of the Alex Tanguay race. As of yesterday morning, there were about ten different opinions floating around the hockey blogosphere as to which teams were still in contact with Tanguay and his agent. I figured it would be an appropriate time to organize the...
Checked out the Sabres development camp last week, here's some quick thoughts:
-Myers and Weber were a defensive pairing throughout camp, and both played like, you guessed it, "men among boys". Calm, cool and collective, they looked NHL ready.
-Butler also played very well, and after his call up last season, looks to be an obvious lock for a roster spot next seaso...
Hockey is a business, you hear it all the time and it is true at least at the professional level.
As team President, John McDonough is directly responsible to Rocky Wirtz. He oversees the administrative side of the Hawks. Wirtz is the Chairman of the Board, the man with the money as it were. Wirtz delegates the responsibility of running the organization to McD and becau...
With the recent pick ups of Fredrik Sjostrom, Brian McGrattan and now it looks like Nigel Dawes, Darryl Sutter is following his usual routine of sneaky pick ups during the summer season.
Looking at the three less than flashy pickups, as opposed to J-Bo, each one can offer a great upgrade at their position.
Knowing Sutter’s history over the past five plus seasons h...
Rumor has it, The Vancouver Canucks are in trade talks with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Newly appointed GM Bowman is looking to make a few changes, and free up some highly needed cap space.
Speculating what might be sent in return for these two,
To Hawks,
Cory Schneider
Rick Rypien
1st round pick 2010
To Canucks,
Barker
Byfuglien
Why the canucks would do ...
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...
I'm sure many of you would agree with me? Dale Tallon took the Hawks from one of the worst teams in the league, to one of the best. He completely re-built the Hawks the professional way, and deserves full credit for it. However, the only thing he got was a stab in the back. I understand that John McDonough believes Bowman is the man for the job, but statistics don't lie, t...
Rumors persist that Burke has offers for other Dmen not named Kaberle coming in.
It would seem wise to retain Kaberle at his cap hit and given the lackluster offensive abilities of Toronto's truculent defense. The key is to turn a 4-10 defenceman with other parts into a "top 6" forward
Given Chicago's cap situation and the recent firing of Tallon regarding that cap ...
Eklund has suggested that a deal trading Kaberle to Vancouver is almost complete. I like this move for the Canucks but can only wonder: what are the Leafs actually getting out of this? Assuming that the Leafs are in the market for a young top-six forward, it confuses me when I don't actually see any such players on the Vancouver roster not named Cody Hodgson.
Apologie...
With all the hysteria by a few Canucks fans on the Leaf Blogs these past few days, I thought I might try to inject my 7% solution into the potential trade of Kaberle to the Canucks.
First, my take on Kaberle: HOLY CRAP!!! GET HIM, GET HIM, GET HIM, GET HIM!!!!!!!!
Uh sorry, did I say that out loud? Oops. Anyway, about Kaberle: He is not just a 'puck moving defenseman...
A lot of rumors have been swirling lately about the state of the Calgary Flames. With Darryl Sutter making moves left and right this off-season, most notably the acquisition of Jay Bouwmeester, fans and analysts alike have raised the question 'is Dion Phaneuf on his way out of Calgary?'
Now before we jump to conclusions let's review the situation the Calgary Flames are ...
Greetings fellow Hawks Fans! I apologize for the length of this blog in advance as it is directed mainly towards fans who may not know what's been going on with the cap situation. Feel free to read or not to read. And that wasn't a question.
I write to you this morning to express my shared excitement for one awesome hockey club out of the windy city. Not only should fan...
According to Howard Berger and Eklund, Kaberle is indeed on the block and the Canucks are sniffing around. A peek at some of the comments after Eklund’s blog presented some pretty far-fetched, ambitious –and ultimately delusional—propositions for the Czech’s services. Kaberle would no doubt improve the surprisingly fragile and porous Canucks D, but he is not wor...
Phil [i]Freaking[/i] Kessel!
Could the Canucks actually have a chance to grab Phil Kessel from the Big Bad Bruins?
You betcha we could. We’d just have to be willing to give up a package of prospects (the Bruins can't really afford roster players in their cap situation) starting, but certainly not ending with Jordan Schroeder, for a 22 year old with the potential t...
First off, I would like to personally send out my condolences to Eklund on the passing of his good friend, Burt the dog.
We're all thinking about you, Ek...thoughts and prayers to you and your family.
Now to NHL talk...
A minor move was made today between the Hurricanes and Bruins. The Hurricanes acquired defenseman Aaron Ward from the Bruins in exchange ...
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...
Hey all, I know I said my next blog was going to be about Sergei Kostitsyn, but I saw a video yesterday that bumped Sergei down a rung. Sorry Sergei, looks like you'll have to wait one more week!
Ok, so down to business...well, believe it or not, training camp is now less than two months away and it is looking, and sounding more and more like the Montreal Canadiens wil...
how you say that is beyond me.. really.. it makes no sence.. crosby plays with malkin, and the majority of his goals are tap ins.. you talk about all around players, lets loook at the stats...
when ovechkin is on the ice you fear him.. you fear his shot, his scoring, his hitting... that fear is not there for crosby.. crosby is great sure, but best player in the world.....
how you say that is beyond me.. really.. it makes no sence.. crosby plays with malkin, and the majority of his goals are tap ins.. you talk about all around players, lets loook at the stats...
when ovechkin is on the ice you fear him.. you fear his shot, his scoring, his hitting... that fear is not there for crosby.. crosby is great sure, but best player in the world.....
Why is it that the Flyers LOVE taking penalties?
In previous blogs, I've already mentioned how I don't like the fact that the Flyers love taking penalties. I'm not sure where the obsession comes from, but the Flyers taking a penalty is just as common an occurrence as Sean Avery proving how much of an idiot he is time and time again.
I have also mentioned before how t...
It's clear that the Canadiens have made MAJOR changes to their roster this summer, but as always, one question still seems to rattle my brain; do we finally have a team that can actually "play" with the Leafs?
Don't get me wrong, like every "Montrealer" I am a die-hard Habs fan, but year after year, I find myself coming home from the arena or the bar (or even just upsta...
We've reached the end of a decade, so it's time to consider who was the best championship team over the last ten years. But since it's also the start of the 21st century, we can go one step further. So, over the next few posts, we will be working our way towards naming the Team of the Millennium. We've had 9 Stanley Cup champions, thanks to the 2005 lockout, but only...
On draft day I was one of many thinking Burke would move up in the draft. To grab JT or Brayden Schenn. I was dissapointed to see the Kings draft Brayden. So the leafs selected Nazem Kadri at which point I cursed in disgust. But the more and more I look at it, the better it seems. Kadri was only cut from the world junior team last year because of a broken jaw. Even though ...
As I live in Saskatoon SK, where the camp is bieng held I will be watching the Red and White scrimmage and providing thoughts and analysis Sunday night. Stay Tuned
Kenny
While conducting research for the Statistical Analysis in the NHL blog which was posted in July, I became acutely interested in the potential of this “science” as it pertains to player evaluation. Statistical Analysis is now fairly prevalent in the baseball world as a number of General Managers either have backgrounds in the field and/or have started departments within...
I just read an article, on tsn.ca, about Carey Price and I have to say that it put a smile on my face. There is nothing that makes me happier than to see/hear a professional athlete take his lumps like a man, and by reading this article, that is exactly what Carey did! Here take a look for yourselves:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=286872
Without getting into all ...
In the last post, we covered round 1 of the Champions from the past decade. Here were the results:
2001 Colorado Avalanche defeated the 2009 Pittsburgh Penguins
2002 Detroit Redwings defeated the 2008 Detroit Redwings
2007 Anaheim Ducks defeated the 2003 NJ Devils
2006 Carolina Hurricanes defeated the 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning
[b]Round 2:[/b]
[u]2001 Colorado...
I know its August 6th, but lets look at October, because really its only 53 days away…
How much does October mean to the Flames? Is the first game of the season really indicative of whether or not they will be raising Lord Stanley’s Mug nine months later? The answer simply is no. But, the first meaningful hockey game of the season is usually the most highly anticipa...
mapleleafsforever writes...
Balsillie Blah Blah Blah... Coyotes Blah Blah Blah...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Did I get your attention? Great.
I've been reading some pretty hilarious stuff since the ruling by Judge Redfield T. Baum regarding the September 10th auction for the Phoenix Coyotes Franchise. If you haven't heard the ruling you must tell me how you fit your computer under that rock which you must surely reside beneath. Essentially, the Judge has declared that all b...
I've always thought about blogging. Then I thought, who could really care about my inane thoughts about hockey...or anything else for that matter. Really, aren't bloggers just enthusiasts without press credentials? Perhaps. I do know that I visit this site several times each day. What I've come to realize about bloggers is that, although they may not have access to the...
This is my first in-depth look at the cap...so bear with me. As of today, the cap numbers being supplied from NHLSCAP.com state that the Rangers have about $2.9 million left for the 2009-2010 season. There are a few updates to make to that number and a few items left on Slat's "to-do" list that will have impact.
Here's where I think we are...
First, the additions.....
Quick update. I am told the scouts are experimenting with Nazem Kadri centering Brandon Kozun and Taylor Hall. A line they believe will put pucks in the net.
Whether you dislike Mats Sundin or not, you knew something wasn't quite right with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season. The Leafs opted to not appoint a team captain for the 2008-09 campaign, and went with a revolving group of alternate captains instead. Personally, I thought that was the right decision. But heading into next season, is it now the time to name a new capta...
I finally had a chance to watch practice and the Red vs. White Game today. Practice was just some drills and the players shooting on the goalies. Matt Duchene's stick skills are some of the best I've seen.
The Games
Final Scroe: 5 to 3 for the Red Team
Shawn Lalonde scored twice in 43 seconds late in the second period to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 advantage as Red ...
2006-07: This was Kadri's rookie season with the Kitchener Rangers (OHL). In 62 games, the center recorded 22 points (7g+15a), adding another two assists in nine playoff games.
2007-08: Kadri improved on his numbers from last season, netting 25 goals and another 40 assists in 68 games with Kitchener (OHL). He excelled in the postseason as well, recording 26 points (9g+1...
The recently announced spin off of Cablevision's Madison Square Garden unit, which includes the all the sports teams, the arena, the MSG network, and various other live entertainment properties, makes perfect sense. Media companies have become so diversified that it's almost impossible for investors to compare "apples-to-apples". How do you compare the stock value of Cabl...
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...
Today the second annual Cote Carnival was held at the Swanky Bubbles Champagne Bar to Benefit MS.
The day began with a long line in the smoldering sun leaving many Flyers fans hot and sweaty. When the doors opened Riley Cote was waiting to greet the fans after they walked in. Things like that truly show how outstanding Cote is with Player-Fan relations. He is by far th...
Every summer as camps are about to break, conversation in some circles turns to who will be the most enigmatic rookie performer in the forthcoming season.
Last year's Calder Trophy winner Steve Mason didn't even start playing until after the season had started but made a huge impression by taking his team to their first ever postseason berth and leading the league in s...
I'm a homer, I will not even try defending myself when accused of it, but I have to seriously wonder if the Flames aren't projected first by default! Not to say they will be so good they can compare to the Detroit and San Jose's of the world...or even Chicago in my opinion (except in net). My Friends and I discussed this and some interesting N.W. division questions came up...
The 2nd Annual Cote Carnival was a great success. It was a great day and event for a great cause to knock out MS. Words can’t tell the story better then pictures.
Full set of pix
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157622000579083/
Ray Emery and Pat Maroon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3850988266/in/set-72157622000579083/
Jeff Carter and ...
One thing's for certain when it comes to assembling Team Canada for the upcoming Olympics. Steve Yzerman has his work cut out for him when it comes to making the cuts at the center position. Canada is so stacked at this position, that they could leave their top 8 centers at home and still have 4 of the best players remaining at that position. In fact, of the 25 forwards...
Today was a pretty crazy day for me. At about 2 o'clock my cell phone was going off the hook with text messages about my favorite hockey player, Simon Gagne. These texts lasted for about 2 hours.
The first text I got told me Simon had hurt himself at the first day of Canada Camp. As more texts came the story began to further itself that he had hurt his groin. This then ...
You know, if anyone had any doubt how hockey crazy the City of Calgary was, they need not wonder any more after tonight’s scrimmage by Team Canada Red vs. White. The atmosphere was outstanding. You could not hear anything at the beginning, it was electric. A 10 year old Miss Pederson sang the national anthem in both languages. It was pure magic even before the game sta...
Flamstr wrote a blog as well regarding this that I commented on but for some reason hockeybuzz gods don't like when I comment and often leave them blank... hint hint Ek.
Anyway... a few thoughts I had being there...
Crosby and Nash look good together, I'm not convinced Iggy meshes but it seems like Iginla is hard to get chemistry with period.
Nash was incredible,...
I realize its only August and the Olympics are still 6 months away, but after watching the Red/White Canada scrimmage last night I have to admit I am very excited about the upcoming season.
A few takes on the scrimmage itself - please be aware I watched it over the internet, so the quality wasnt the greatest and the screen size was small and with no play-by-play it was...
As a self-proclaimed advocate of Statistical Analysis and its potential in the world of hockey I must now defend the practice after a recent blog authored by former Minnesota Wild Assistant GM Tom Lynn was published on The Hockey News on August 28th. For those of you who may be interested in reading the whole post, here is the link: http://thehockeynews.com/articles/27659-...
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...
Booo to Comcast. They are at it again. They refuse to play with others. They are trying to create a monopoly in Philadelphia broadcasting. They are so paranoid about satellite TV that they have kept CSN off the DirecTV since it's inception. They claim that they are not capable of broadcasting to satellite.
Now they have increased the price of Versus to make it un...
With the 2010 NHL training camps only a few weeks away, I think that Habs fans are excited about the upcoming season but with all the changes over the summer, left feeling a little lost too. The question is, why? Why was this summer's upheaval so traumatic? Why do we feel like we are floating in the wind waiting for the breeze to deposit us somewhere? I'll tell you why...
CANUCKS
The Vancouver Canucks have signed Roberto Luongo to a 12-year $64 million contract, making him a lifetime Canuck. Unless he gets signed as a 64 year free agent - okay that is little sarcastic, but you get the point. Luongo is a lifetime Canuck, and is one of the best goalies in the League. The Canucks have been a very busy team this week, acquiring two vets on t...
One question that looms over the Canada hockey right now is, Who will be the Captain in Vancouver? Who will lead the Canadians to Gold? Or better yet, who CAN lead them to the gold?
Let’s look at the list of suitable candidates.
Jarome Iginla: Iginla represented Canada at the last two Olympic games in Turin and Salt Lake City. He wore an “A” in Turin and was in...
With training camp only a few days away and the Habs rookie camp already underway, there is no doubt that hockey is in the air....and I'm lovin' it! Given that the 2010 season is almost upon us, it got me thinking about the new-look Habs and what their chances of success are, this season. While I'm not brave enough to make a prediction, I think that I can say that I am c...
ladynic writes...
Flyers Veterans Unofficial Practice/ Flyers Rookie Camp
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Rookie pictures are still uploading to Flickr here is the link for the vets
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157622202651155/
The Veterans looked very good. Backlund was finally there and we saw his new mask
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3905187223/in/set-72157622202651155/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3905967706/in/set-7215762220265...
Just two days till camp and there are still many questions to be answered. Hype for the season is beginning to build and the ice is starting to freeze in arenas around the league. So where do we stand?
Recap: Here is the list of guys we picked up this offseason who will likely start
Donald Brasher
Marian Gaborik
Chris Higgins
Ales Kotalik
Enver Lisin
Vi...
Since everyone's official team bloggers have begun posting this year's training camp rosters, I'm going to go ahead and post the Devils' roster since it hasn't been done yet.
[b]Goaltenders[/b]
30 - Martin Brodeur
31 - Jeff Frazee
35 - Yann Danis
40 - Mike McKenna
50 - Gerald Coleman
60 - Dave Caruso
70 - Jeff Lerg
[b]Defensemen[/b]
2 - Jay Leach
5 - Colin W...
So, continuing in my 5 part series on what will (or won't) make the Habs successful this season, I want to start off by replying to one of the comments from my last post. In my previous post, I had said that I define the Habs' success as finishing anywhere between 4th and 8th, in the East. The poster, 'flamminghead', wondered why not 1st, 2nd, or 3rd? Well, the answer i...
Open training camp began on Sunday September 13th at 8:30AM, for the Calgary Flames, one day after completing their fitness testing. There has been a lot of buzz around camp this year for multiple reasons; first there are 57 players attending which is a huge group of players, second there are many new additions (many of whom have 1-way deals) who are fighting for the last ...
I was not able to attend on Friday for Veterans unofficial practice and the rookie game. My friend Sandy did here are the links to her pictures
Veterans Practice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25870841@N07/sets/72157622348278282/
Rookie's practice
http://www.flickr.com/photos/25870841@N07/sets/72157622348412030/
Winter Classic Jersey unveiling
http://www.flickr....
In my post yesterday I mentioned that I think the Flyers really have the hang of things with training camp here is one of my prime exampled
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3920706599/in/set-72157622247610191/
There was only a fraction of the fans at today's camp session but still a pretty good turn out for a monday.
A few people have asked for some details...
Kamal Panesar writes...
5 Keys to Habs' Season - Part 3 - Mike Cammalleri
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Greetings all! Hope eveyone is enjoying my take on what I believe the Habs will need in order for them to have a successful year. For part 3, in this series, I turn my attention to our shiny new sniper, Mike Cammalleri.
[b]Mike Cammalleri[/b]
For a few years in a row now, there has been talk of Gainey fishing for three players around the league; Vinny Lecavalier, Pat...
Quick. What do you think of when you hear these names:
Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, NY Islanders, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Mapleleafs.
Teams likely to miss the playoffs? (SJ doesn't quite fit)
Cool Jerseys? (Islanders are kind a lame)
Teams that disappointed last season? (True, though Toronto didn't have high expectations)
If you read ...
Kamal Panesar writes...
5 Keys to Habs' Season - Part 4 - Andrei Kostitsyn
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Back again, and in the home stretch with part 4 of 5, in this series.
Training camp is in full effect and the new look Habs hit the ice tonight against Florida, in Montreal. Gomez asks Lapierre if he thinks it will be a sold out tonight.
Hehe.....good one Scott. In a few short hours, you will experience, 1st hand, what it feels like to be a home boy in the larges...
I just got home from this game and have to say I didn't really like the first 1 1/2 periods at all. With the game being 5 to 0 at this point really made me want to pack my stuff and head back home and play EA NHL 10.
Thomas Greiss did not look good tonight. With 11 shots there were 5 goals and most of these goals looked very stoppable. After a few more shots at Greiss A...
The Maple Leafs were $2 million under the cap before the trade for Kessel. They now sit $3 million over. I know Burke said he had the cap room to make this trade, but it is hard to see how. He does have some bonus cushion but not enough to make up the difference. Don't forget how important it is to have a little cap cushion. The Flames couldn't even get a full rost...
Dumont gets the goal and everybody gets ready to start singing "I like it", then huh. What is that? A new goal song in Nashville. From the few folks around me they didn't seem to like the change. Tradition is tough to alter. We will see if this follows through to the regular season.
After the Canes win here are my thoughts on a couple players.
JP Dumont - Good g...
Kamal Panesar writes...
You got slapped! Wake-up call comes early for S. Kostitsyn.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Back in August I wrote a blog about Sergei Kostitsyn entitled 'Sergei Kostitsyn: Superstar or Superbrat?'
Here's the link, FYI:
http://habsaddict.blogspot.com/2009/08/sergei-kotitsyn-superstar-or-superbrat.html
In this article, I talked about how I wasn't sure how or where Sergei fit in the lineup of the 2010, Canadiens. How he seems like he has top-6 skill, but he...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Edmonton? Chicago? Who else would want Sergei Kostitsyn?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Let me start by saying, "I called it!" re: the Sergei Kostitsyn situation. Hooray. Nice for me. Ok, enough patting myself on the back...
After being demoted to the AHL but a) refusing to report to the Bulldogs and b) requesting to be traded, it appears that Sergei 'lil-punk' Kostitsyn's time in Montreal is over. I can't say that I am sad about it but definitely disap...
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...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Finally Win A Season Opener Thanks To Kipper
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Apologies for the late post…
The Flames won their first season opener in six seasons Thursday with a 5-3 win over the Canucks at home. After a sizzling start led to an early 3-0 lead, the Flames slowed down the next two periods, and eventually Miikka Kiprusoff had to bail out the team in the third period to preserve the win. Nevertheless, there were some good things t...
For those of you reading this, keep in mind I am a fan in the San Diego area, so all of my perspectives are from watching the games on television. Im saving up for the Olympics, therefore will not be able to attend any Flyer games in person this year. Hope you enjoy my take on tonights game:
Well the first game is in the books and we in Flyerdom have to be pretty happy...
I am a US hockey fan, and I can not state emphatically enough that there is NO reason to "Make it Seven".
It should be MAKE IT TEN
Southern markets in the United States, despite some very vocal and passionate fans, are largely failures. The two teams in the state of Florida have had their successes, but have been in terrible financial straits and have seen far more d...
I have been lucky enough to live in the Detroit area since I was 5. Well I don't know how lucky I really am given the economy of the city the last 5 years but one thing is for sure, it has been great being a Red Wing fan.
Growing up there was definitely some down times. I remember my father getting calls from Mike Illitch himself back in the 80's practically begg...
The Rangers are now 2-1 and show a lot of promise. The attacking style of play has shown a lot in the past three games. First, that it will produce goals and opportunities. Second, that the players are buying into the concept. Third, that it does leave openings for the other team. As for last nights 3-2 win over the Devils give the credit to the young guys and Torts.
La...
Now that was how the game of hockey is designed to be played! Two very good hockey teams that played one hell of an exciting game, it might even have been the best game I have ever seen in October.
Since the game was on Versus and many of you missed the game, here are some notes that I saw tonight. Matt Carle is playing with confidence, knowing he has Pronger with h...
Saying that our fourth line was good for the first game was one thing. The second game, impressive. The third straight game in which the fourth line outperforms the other three is astounding and re-iterates the immense amount of depth on this Flames squad.
Let’s look at the stats for the first 3 games:
Sjostrom- 2 A, and a Plus 3
Nystrom- 2 G, 1A, a plus 5, and 1 f...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 07/10/09: Mtl - vs - Van - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, I am back from my trip to Waterloo and ready to go folks! The sad thing about being in Waterloo is that I could not watch the Habs game last night due to RDS [b][u][i]NOT[/i][/u][/b] existing in Waterloo.
But I digress ...
This should be a great game tonight folks! I can sense it will be a battle of the goaltenders. Price finally gets the chance to start in hi...
I think we all know while I could do the game analysis that all of you have rehashed last night's game to death at this point in the day. So let's just do the pictures and call it a day.
The most requested pix in msgs to me today
Richards and Ovechkin
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3991864276/in/set-72157622415044485/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325...
Please read and post your thoughts and what you like/dislike or what you'd change.
Well, it's early... and it's very safe to say that Power Rankings at this point in time in the season don't mean very much. They're mostly a combination of last year's finish and this year's promise.
I like James Duthie's column on TSN.ca about Premature Evaluation, in reference to ju...
So…the Flames go in to Edmonton last Saturday and “steal” 2 points when Khabibulin flubs a clearing attempt and Moss pots the game winner. Fast forward 5 days later. Rene Bourque tips a Jay Bouwmeester point shot with less than 2 seconds left in regulation to send it to extra time, leading to a shootout win. Not to mention the Oilers get a man advantage in the OT an...
Some quick hits:
If the Pens, Capitals and Flyers are the elite teams in the Eastern Conference let's make one thing clear...
Their defense needs a little work on all the teams.
All the teams need to re-shape their defensive schemes unless they want to play pond hockey all year long.
Sorry Im a couple days late on writing this blog. Time has been in short supply lately, but here it goes.
First, I have a complaint about Versus. Being a Flyer fan in San Diego, it makes it very difficult to watch the games live. Thank God for the DVR, as I can now see the game when I get home. Usually the time alotted for the game is more than enough as NHL Center Ice ...
Once again these two monster corporations have unwillingly conspired together to stop NHL fans on DirecTV away from watching the Flyers and Ducks tonight.
My normal blog has to be postponed from tonight since I couldn't see the game. Thanks again to the people from these 2 organizations for stopping me from seeing this great matchup between these 2 powerhouse teams.
...
A quick hit on this Sunday morning about the state of Calgary’s backup goalie situation. Curtis McElhinney might just not be good enough to play for the Flames. He has a whopping total of one win in the year and a half he has been with the team and constantly disappoints every time he gets between the pipes. He does not make the saves that Kipper does and unfortunately f...
WarHero writes...
Andrei Kostitsyn: Can a 3rd period benching really help?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I never mentioned this last night but during the 3rd period of the game last night Andrei Kostitsyn didn't play one freaking shift!
Fans to Jacques: WTF are you doing? Trying to ruin the kid?
If Habs management think that benching a player who actually has the ability to score a clutch goal is the right way to motivate him then they better start re-thinking their gam...
Watching the Flames blow a lead like that should not be surprising for any true Flames fan. We watch year after year, game after game as the Flames jump out to early leads and either wind up blowing them, giving up last minute goals or barely hanging on. And there are some prime examples only six games into this very young season.
The opener against Vancouver where the...
Well, it happened. Why is it the Flames always find a way to do this? They came out like gangbusters and managed to lose the game, in what became the biggest comeback in league history. I'm not going to say I knew they'd blow the 5-0 lead, but one thought did cross my mind after the fifth goal - "Is five goals enough for the flames?" Just as I thought 3 goals wasn't enough...
While maybe not as dramatic as last night, this hockey game was basically the same story. Came out hard and physical and got the all to familiar lead in the first period, only to slowly back off and allow the Jackets back into the hockey game. Missed passes, giveaways, lazy defensive zone play, and penalties spelled the end. Kipper stood on his head again, but the guy need...
Well, a game removed from the biggest collapse in NHL history and the Flames should come out angry as all hell, right? Wrong
The Flames were out shot 33-23 and if it were not for Kiprusoff, this game would have been 6-1. Kipper made several tremendous saves to keep the Flames up 1-0, but finally succumbed to the pressure of a 5 on 3 powerplay and let in two goals in jus...
Ugh. This was the closest Montreal has come so far, in this young season, to playing a full 60 minutes. However, sadly, they decided to take the 2nd period off and as a result ended up losing the game. Yes, both Colorado goals were lucky bounces, butt hey resulted from work. They simply out-worked Montreal in the 2nd and were rewarded with two lucky goals. Here are a ...
The Preds continue to struggle scoring losing 3 to 1 in Nashville to the Blackhawks. The Preds only could muster 2 shots in the third period and a total of 13 for the game. On the other side they gave up 30 shots. This team is just simply struggling and going down fast. I kept on hearing this team is getting scoring chances, they are, but the problem is this team doesn...
On tap tonight: The Vancouver Canucks.
The Flames have a lot to prove tonight. A big rivalry game should be all the fuel needed to re-stoke the fire under this hockey team, but with this group you just never know. Brent Sutter has been surprisingly calm and collected over the past week and is preaching patience with the new system. If this pace continues, however, you ...
First off, sorry for taking so much time to start writing again, I had Swine Flu and im obviously still alive :)
1. Will the Leafs make the playoffs?
2.Will the Canadiens make a trade?
3.How many shut-outs will Pascal Leclaire get?
4.Does Vancouver beat out Calgary for the NW title?
5.Will the Flames make it past the first round if they make the playoffs?
6.Should ...
First off, sorry for taking so much time to start writing again, I had Swine Flu and im obviously still alive :)
1. Will the Leafs make the playoffs?
2.Will the Canadiens make a trade?
3.How many shut-outs will Pascal Leclaire get?
4.Does Vancouver beat out Calgary for the NW title?
5.Will the Flames make it past the first round if they make the playoffs?
6.Should ...
Another win, and another siting of Jeckyl and Hyde. Giving up 2 late goals to make it close is not really my concern, I am sure the officials had bet the game over allowing 3 straight minors to the Flames. The concern is how come they let off the gas, this is a division rival and a team we fought to the last weekend for that title last season, step on the gas, choke the l...
Well, I believe Mr. Dion Phaneuf must have been reading this blog because he took my advice and gave his body up for the team to save a goal. Good for you “Neon Dion”, you did yourself proud! Not to mention a +2 on the night; a vast improvement from prior games for #3.
In other news the Flames managed to play their most complete game of the season last night, beati...
The Preds finally scored 2 goals again, but it wasn't enough as Ovechkin had two goals, including the shootout winner.
Compared to previous games, this was a much better effort against a great team. In the first period, the Preds missed two breakways by Ward and Weber on the PK. They got good scoring chances and did a good job of only allowing 2 goals to this offensiv...
As part of my series of articles reviewing the best and the worst of the past decade, I decided to take a look at the trade deadline deals that have gone down over the past ten years. Here are the "biggest" deals in terms of significance then and the longer term impact. We obviously don't know the full impact of some of the more recent deals, but we'll do our best to gue...
The Flames came out firing (no pun intended) on the Blue Jackets tonight. A well rested team hungry to re pay Columbus for a loss one week ago, the Flames took control of the game from the drop of the puck. Except for getting into some penalty trouble at the beginning and end of the second stanza, the Flames controlled much of the 5 on 5 play and came out with a the win.
...
Here's a new look:
Canadian franchises are in danger, not because they aren't drawing enough crowds or making enough money. No, Canadian franchises are in danger because the game as a whole is struggling.
When 80% of the league is based in either a non-hockey market (boy have we heard that phrase a lot this summer) or in a struggling economy (sorry neighbors to the s...
Iggy's Back...A solid effort by the Flames last night, and they were led by their Captain Jarome Iginla. After last game where Iginla played hard and had chances, you knew this was coming. Skating down the right wing and letting go an absolute bomb of a wrist shot top corner right off the bar. Vintage. Classic. Standard. Call it what you want, it was a beauty. Add that to ...
Ok, let me start by saying....WTF????!!!?! What is going on with Sergei Kostitsyn? This saga is developing into a drama the likes of which Bill Shakespeare would be proud of. But seriously, wtf? He comes to camp and acts like a punk so he gets demoted to Hamilton. Then he refuses to report to Hamilton and gets suspended by the Habs. Then he changes his mind, report...
What's the date? Are we still in October? We are! And the Isles won a hockey game?!
Pinch me, I must be dreaming.
Wait, no I'm not...the Isles still managed to give up a two goal lead late in the third period and went to the shootout, once again.
Being in the Blog Box last night provided for some gut-wrenching moments. One in particular was when John Tavares was...
Who knew a game in late October could have such anticipation?
The thing of it is, this is a huge game for both teams.
[b]Why Calgary Wants It[/b]
The Calgary Flames have yet to play a 60 minute hockey game. Their best game of the season was the last one, against Columbus. A hot start, followed by an absolute melt-down on a 5 on 3 Power Play... re-establish the ...
What else can you say about another win in the "Battle of Alberta", 3 games vs the Oilers in the first 10 games of the season and another victory. This time there will be no witty retorts from Oiler fans about, Khabibulin handling the puck, last second tying goal. No this time it was a great 60 minute effort by the Flames, who, except for giving up too many penalties and 2...
For the last couple years the Edmonton Oilers had their way physically with the Calgary Flames. Steve MacIntyre would run amok on the ice and bowl over anyone that stood in his way.
Enter Brian McGrattan. Cue one the best fights of the year and McGrattan landing some of biggest bombs you will ever see NOT drop a human being to his knees. A heavyweight tilt that lived u...
It's not often that a team can pull out a valuable player from the ashes of the waiver wire, but when they do, it's like getting something for nothing. The past decade saw a big switch in how this process works. Prior to the new CBA, there was a waiver draft held each year just before the season started. Now, it's not uncommon to see players being claimed off waivers t...
First off, another good win for the Habs tonight. Nice to see Hamrlik getting to goal on OT. He's been really stepping it up since Markov's injury.
I apologize for the lack of live game blogs lately and should be back for the next game against the Pens on Wednesday! Prediction: Price get the start.
So ... 11 games down and the Habs are 6-5-0 (12 pts) after winning 4 ...
What a great game. These 2 teams are so evenly matched and so physical that these games are a joy to watch for all fans. The first matchup was a barn-burner with the Flyers winning in OT. Tonight the Caps outlasted the Flyers with a great comeback. It looked like Philly had the game in control with a 2-0 lead. Within 2 minutes the Caps had tied the game and taken cont...
I am guessing that when the season began not many expected the Colorado Avalanche to have only 1 regulation loss through 11 games and be leading the Western Conference. A team that was scheduled to be occupying the cellar of the west for most of the year has come out of the gate on fire due to some stellar goaltending from journeyman tender Craig Anderson. Toiling in the C...
Nidder14 writes...
Gameday: Northwest Division leaders, Colorado Avalanche
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, after yet another long break, the Flames are finally back in action tonight against probably the biggest suprise team of the season to date. The Colorado Avalanch are in town, bringing with them a plethora of young talent and the hottest goalie in the league. With a 9-1-2 record the Avs sit atop the NW division, five points up on the Flames, however the Flames ha...
Just a few quick thoughts before I hit my pillow…
The Flames have no problem starting games anymore; it is simply playing the rest of the 60 minute game that they seem to have issues with. Leading 2-0 a minute into the game and the Flames stepped off the gas pedal and idled in neutral for most of the game. They were so close to running Anderson from the net, yet they ...
The Predators had a really good team game with Erat (scratched) and Arnott (injured) not playing. Solid goaltending by Rinne stopping all 22 shots he faced. He virtually gave zero rebounds. He was a human vacuum. The Preds defensively were very sound. Good job of back checking by the forwards and good job by the dman to shut down Kane. Especially Weber who laid the...
The month of October played out like a typical Flames game. Out of the gate with a bang; 4 straight wins, 3 in the division, and a power play running just under a 50% clip. But, just like they did so many times this month, the Flames wandered off the winning path, and gave some points back to the field. Slowly becoming the team that gives up leads, the Flames gave up numer...
landsharkhockey writes...
Top 10 Unforgettable Playoff Moments of the Decade
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
As we continue with the decade in review, it's time to look back at most memorable moments from the Stanley Cup playoffs over the past 10 years. Here are the plays and incidents that will be remembered for years to come.
10. (2006) - In game 1 of the Cup finals between the Hurricanes and Oilers, the Canes overcame a 3 goal deficit to win the game. Towards the end of t...
Ouch. Groan. Blech. Another day and another weak performance by the Montreal Canadiens. Three days after barely beating the Toronto Maple Leafs, our beloved Habs lost to the Kovalchuk-less Atlanta Thrashers and man was it ugly! From top to bottom, Montreal was disorganized and discombobulated. From sloppy defensive zone coverage to bad turnovers. From inconsistent g...
Well maybe not the return, but possibly the “Coming out Party” of the Mac. Calgary’s back-up goaltender Curtis McElhinney started tonight’s game after Kiprusoff was sent back to the hotel with the evil flu bug. In a huge statement game for the Flames, after two disappointing home losses, the Flames squeaked out an overtime win over the Dallas Stars on the shoulders...
Two nights, two cities, two goaltenders, two overtime wins. For the second straight night the Flames managed to win an overtime game on the road, due in part to the goaltending they received on both occasions.
Miikka Kiprusoff, who had been battling the flu for the past while, came into the net tonight and shut the door on the St. Louis Blues. Stopping 30 of all 31 shot...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 07/11/09: Mtl - vs - Tbl - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Habs are fresh off their first road win since October 3rd, a shootout over the Boston Bruins, thanks to some brilliant goal tending from Carey Price while the Lighting are fresh off an overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators. Montreal has had trouble finding the net recently due to a sever lack of secondary scoring while Steven Stamkos just keeps filling it. Add in the re...
This is my submission into the Journalism Dream Contest for the Globe and Mail. Go Here and vote for me:
http://journalismdream.theglobeandmail.com/entry_article.asp?id=826
The number 12 jersey slung on over his shoulder pads, the captains "C" prominently displayed over his heart.
All that embodies leadership, courage and the eternal drive to win is present in everyt...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 10/11/09: Mtl - vs - Cgy - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Welcome back!
It' a beautiful Tuesday night here in Ottawa and the Habs are once on good ole' faithful RDS!
Their opponent tonight, the Calgary Flames, are currently riding a 3 game winning steak thanks to the improved play of their captian Jarome Iginla. Iginla has 5 points in the last 3, most of hose goals, and has also stepped up his defensive play.
The Habs l...
This was not a typical 1-0 win, it was exciting with end to end action, great goaltending, hard hits and great action all night long. This was not a Jacques Lemaire 1-0 Minnesota Wild game, even though the Habs retro sweater looked like a Wild sweater, this was a very entertaining game to watch.
Jerome Iginla scored yet another game winning goal, his 9th of the season. ...
Three Star Flames players authored very influential performances Tuesday night in the Bell Centre: Mikka Kiprusoff, Jarome Iginla and Dion Phaneuf.
For the fourth straight game the Flames received great, if not amazing, goaltending and subsequently extended their winning streak to four games. Kiprusoff was simply brilliant between the pipes on Tuesday night stopping ev...
Rob McGowan writes...
Lift The Puck! Isles Lose to Caps In 11-Round Shootout
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Islanders managed to get a quick 3-1 lead after being scored on within the first eight seconds of the first period against the Washington Capitals tonight. However, the score was eventually 4-3 Caps by the end of the second period. The Isles were granted two late powerplays, the latter resulting in the game tying goal that got the Isles that point that they would have ...
As we continue to look back at the past decade in the NHL, there were a number of rule changes that have significantly affected the state of the game today. Many of these were positive changes, but a few were downright awful. Most of the changes in the last 10 years happened as a direct result of the lockout. Here's a look at the 4 best and 4 worst rule changes over the...
Much has been made about Bob Gainey's changes this off-season. From optimistic to apocalyptic predictions about the team, it's all fairly inconsequential until game 82. But who are the Montreal Canadiens?
Currently holding an 8-10-0 record, having played as many or more games than any other team in the East we sit in a pretty dissapointing 11th place, and as much as I l...
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/20091114/capt.36df281e5b144d3fbca20df904c74148.flames_sabres_hockey_nyd101.jpg[/img]
Calgary (11-4-1) vs. Buffalo (10-4-1)
What more could you ask for in this game? It's too bad these teams only meet once a season.
It was as advertised. These two teams played extremely well, making this game have the feel of a playoff atmosphere.
T...
Miikka Kiprusoff, Miikka Kiprusoff, Miikka Kiprusoff, Miikka Kiprusoff, Miikka Kiprusoff. 5 times, because he has been that damn good.
The solitary reason the Flames snatched three of four points over the weekend. The only reason the Flames did not get beat by the 29th ranked Toronto Maple Flakes.
Kipper has been an impenetrable force over these first 18 games this ...
landsharkhockey writes...
Best of the Decade Awards: Vezina, Norris and Hart
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Each year, the experts get together and vote on the best players in the game. As part of my decade in review, I'd like to look back at the last 10 years and award the Vezina, Norris, and Hart Trophies to best candidates, covering their play over the entire decade. Some worthy candidates were passed over in these categories, because they only played a handful of seasons, ...
WarHero writes...
Game Day - 17/11/09: Mtl - vs - Car - Let the Battle Begin!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's 7:22 and my rabbits are going crazy with Hab fever! Welcome back everyone!
Tonight, the Habs will face off against a team who we can actually say is doing worse than the Habs. The Carolina Hurricanes have not been able to find the form that took them to the conference finals in last years playoffs. Couple that with an injury to starting goaltender Cam Ward and a fl...
A battle for first place in the Northwest division turned out to be a bit of a snoozer. Coming off a 3 game road trip in which they secured 5 of 6 possible points, the Flames came out looking tired. Getting beat to numerous pucks, the Flames could never find their groove in a loss to the Avalanche. For the second time this season on home ice, the Flames fell 3-2 to the Avs...
Blech. This team is freaking weak. Sorry guys (and gals), but its true. For sure they have the very real excuse of having a boat load of injuries to key guys, but still. This is just a weak team and they are showing that unless their goalie stands on their head - which Price has done the last three games he played - they don't have any chance of winning. Consequently,...
Well the Flames came out looking good against the Hawks tonight…no, let me start again. The Flames special teams were outstanding tonight…wait, lets try it one more time. The Flames stunk up the Saddledome in one of the most humiliating losses on home ice in recent memory. There, that sums it up better.
In a game that was reasonably close through half the game, tu...
As our Montreal Canadiens get ready to take on the Washington Capitals, in Washington, there are some interesting rumblings that are percolating in the city this Friday morning. Aside from the fact that Montreal will be getting reinforcements in the form of Ryan O'Byrne (yay!) and George Laraque (who cares) back for tonight's game, I am starting to hear a lot of people men...
On a Saturday afternoon in mid November, Jarome Iginla showed why he is considered one of the most dangerous players in the NHL. Netting his 9th career hat trick in the Flames 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, Iginla dominated from start to finish.
A mere 13 seconds into the contest, as Kings and Flames fans alike were still getting comfortable in their seats, Ig...
For the tenth straight time in the regular season the Flames failed to beat the Anaheim Ducks in the Honda Center. Not sure if it is the mystical aroma or the echo you get when you drop a pin in the stadium, but the Flames have constantly had trouble winning in Disneyland.
Tonight the Flames outplayed the Ducks in the 1st and 3rd periods outshooting them 33-13 during t...
It's not hard to look up and down the rosters in the NHL and identify a handful of contracts that each team would like to take back. This past decade saw a ridiculous jump in the amount of money and term being handed out to players as GMs try to woo the top free agents to their market. While a number of these bad deals ran wild in the era of free spending, the salary cap...
The Flames needed a win at home, and they did exactly that; gaining a decisive 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. Not the prettiest game in the world to watch but a win is a win anyway you slice it.
With two of the better goaltenders going head to head, one could have guessed that this would have been a low scoring affair. Let’s compare their stats after tonight�...
The Flames went into two arenas that have been quite unfriendly in the past and walked away with 4 points. First, the Flames shut out the two time defending Western Conference Champion Red Wings in Joe Louis Arena, which is no easy task. For the first time since 1977, the Red Wings were shutout twice in a row at home; the Flames being the back half of that equation. The fo...
Cape Breton Bruins writes...
A look at MY picks for Team Canada-Part 1-Centers
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
With the NHL season finally underway, and with the chrisp winter air starting to decend on much of Canada(Snow in Alberta, Yikes), we are now only three months away from what promises to be the most memorable olympic games in the history of this country since pro's became eligible to participate in the hockey tournament starting at the Nagano games in 1998.
Everybody re...
November; a month that the Flames wished had more days in it. After a respectable opening month of October going 7-4-1, the Flames dominated the month of November going 10-2-2 asserting themselves as one of the teams to beat in the Western Conference. The Flames also hold the best road record in the league going 10-1-3 over 14 games away from the dome. With tonight’s 5-...
The NHL season is ten weeks old, so I decided to post my rankings of the 30 teams so far. Stats are through Sunday, Nov. 29.
Rank.......Team.......Record
1.) San Jose 18-6-4
It's hard to argue against San Jose as the best team in the league, especially when you consider they've played only ten of 28 at home.
2.) Chicago 16-6-3
The Blackhawks were playing gr...
This blog will basically break down a bunch of numbers associated with Shawn Horcoff since the lock-out, and look at comparable players/contracts.
[u][b]Horcoff since the lockout:[/b][/u]
09/10: 11P/23GP =0.48P/GP Playing injured, now w/o Hemsky
08/09: 53P/80GP =0.66P/GP Roughly 0.7
07/08: 50P/53GP =0.94P/GP Roughly 1
06/07: 51P/80GP =0.64P/GP Roughly 0.7
05/06: 73...
As we continue to look back at the best and worst of the past decade, let's consider the top forward lines of the past 10 years. It's not often any more that a team will stick with consistent lines over a period of time, but there are a few notable entries to be found. For the most part, I tried to avoid great duos who were mixed with interchangeable parts, unless the pl...
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...
Cam Neely was the prototype power forward in hockey. He could skate, fight, cause chaos in the crease, and SCORE(LOOCH hope you read this).
He came to the Bruins in a trade with Vancouver during the 1986-1987 season. The Bruins shipped over Barry Pederson to the Canucks for Neely and the third overall pick in the ’87 draft which became Boston blue liner, Glen Wesley....
Unfortunately, the amazing run away from home ice had to end sometime. With tonight’s 2-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, the Flames failed to pick up a point on the road for the first time since October 13th, when they fell 2-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Another streak ended tonight as Miikka Kiprusoff allowed a goal for the first time in 159 minutes and 10 seconds aft...
Wow. Just wow. What a prefectly stupendious night at the Bell Centre last night. Starting with the beaufitul pre-game ceremonies to commemorate the 100th birthday of the Montreal Canadiens and culminating with the rousing play of the current edition of the team, resutling in a 5-1 thumping of the Boston Bruins. For the purposes of this post I'll stick to the game, rather t...
First and foremost what Carcillo did was stupid. The Flyers just tied the score and the game was getting interesting and he goes out and screws his own team. You don't wait around to fight someone. He deserved all the minutes he got but with Bradley dropping his gloves, he should've picked up something. I've never heard of a 9 min power play. The trade that brought Ca...
Don't look now, but your Montreal Canadiens have a three game winning streak going! Not only that, but all three wins have come in regulation. Not only that, but their penalty killing unit has become the backbone of this team. Not only that, but their powerplay is slowly starting to get its act together. Not only that, but they seem to have 2, yes that's right, 2, starting...
The Flames returned home, after their longest road trip of the season, to face the much improved Atlanta Thrashers on Wednesday night. The Flames did not disappoint their fans as they played a solid game and won 3-1 for their second consecutive win at home, after losing 4 of their previous 5 on home ice. The old cliché of ‘having their best players play like their best...
So over the last couple days a rumor has broken out about the Flames, this in itself makes me question it because Sutter (Darryl) is a guy who does not react kindly to leaks, about Dion Phanuef.
The meat of the rumor is that Dion would go to the Islanders for something along the lines of Tavares or Okposo (who he almost killed in an open ice hit in pre-season) or a firs...
Line 1
LW-Rick Nash C- Sidney Crosby RW- "A" Jarome Iginla
Line 2
LW- Dany Heatly C- Joe Thorton RW- Ryan Getzlaf
Line 3
LW- Jeff Carter C- Mike Richards RW- "A" Shane Doan
Line 4
LW- Corey Perry C- Mi...
Backup goaltender Patrick Lalime was on top of his game as he led the Sabres to a 2-1 win over Brian "Soupy" Campbell and the Blackhawks
Buffalo (17-9-2) vs. Chicago (19-7-3)
Chicago enters the night 5-0-1 against Eastern Conference opponents this season. Friday marked only the second time in seven years the Blackhawks have visited Buffalo. It was also the first time...
Jean Charest, Premier of Quebec, said this week that after talking with Gary Bettman, he is confident NHL hockey will return to Quebec City. “It is going to happen,” said the Premier, citing plans to build a new arena to lure the NHL back to Quebec’s capital city.
Cela est une grande idée Jean. But here’s why it ain’t gonna happen.
1. Population of Quebec ...
Today is the 15th of December and as we hit the official half-way point of the month we also hit the half-way mark of the Habs' 17 games in 28 nights. And how have our beloved Habs fared so far? Hmmmm, looks like a win one/lose one trend, much like the rest of the year has been for them. Sadly, this team could have a lot more points that it currently has (33 in 34 games) i...
In front of a packed house at the Scottrade Center on Brett Hull night, the Blues pulled out a rare home victory on a beautiful late goal by T.J. Oshie. It was a great play set up by the forecheck of David Backes, allowing Paul Kariya to take the puck and feed Oshie with a beautiful pass that Oshie roofed.
Another rarity, the Blues scored a power-play goal. That unit st...
Thirty-five games into the season, more games played than any other team, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves a mere 2 points out of 29th spot overall. That’s more than enough reason to think this team is not a Stanley Cup contender. And in this modern NHL salary cap era that’s enough reason to rebuild for next season.
A common, successful strategy to rebuild is...
After three straight losses, the Flames came back and beat, what was statistically, the best team in the Western Conference. Coming off of a mini two game road trip where the Flames failed to earn a point, they were determined to gain some sort of momentum heading into an elongated amount of games on home ice. However, they did not manage to exactly blow the Los Angeles K...
We are seeing a tremendous year of hockey. Tight standings, fun play and a division/conference that is up for grabs. Currently we have three teams that are in a fight for the western conference lead with 47 points apiece, L.A., Chicago, and San Jose. However, Chicago has earned those 47 in just 33 games. Nashville stands alone at 45 points, but stands to move up if they...
In a rare afternoon affair at the Saddledome, the Flames failed to gain any momentum on their current home stand by falling to the Nashville Predators 5 to 3. Losers of 4 of their last 5, the Flames, seemingly, were still asleep for the first 15 minutes of this game. Looking sluggish and disjointed from the drop of the puck, save Rene Bourque, the Flames were in a hole dow...
Twas the night before Christmas when all through the Dome,
Not a creature was stirring, not even Jarome.
The Jerseys were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Stanley soon would be there.
The Flames were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of hockey pucks danced in their heads.
And Sutter in his ‘kerchief, and King in his cap,
Had just sett...
If Ilya doesn't sign in Atlanta and the Thrashers put him on the market there would be interest from a host of teams around the league. The "roomered" asking price (according to Ek) is "a pick, a player that can help Atlanta now, and a top, top NHL prospect".
Now if I'm Darryl, there are only a couple of pure prospects in the cupboard that I could even consider "top, to...
I had the opportunity to be at the Garage for last night's game and while I enjoyed what went on in the stands, I did not enjoy what I saw on the ice.
I wouldn't say that the Canucks dominated but they were persistent. They did everything the Preds should have done. They got traffic in front of Dan Ellis, they put shots on net whenever they could and they took pucks har...
The Calgary Flames are officially in a slump. They are not playing desperate hockey and are not playing well. After a nice three day break where they could take some time to work out some of the kinks that have been bothering them over this stretch, it seemed as if this would be a perfect game to bounce back in. The Blues, after coming off of big wins in both Edmonton and ...
After waiting for 64 years the Habs finally won a December 23rd road game. I always find little stats like that pretty useless but as human beings we seem to track even the minutest of details. And as such, it is good to know that "the curse" has been broken. Ummm....ya.
In demolishing the Canes 5 to 1, the Habs extended their winning streak to three games and are now 4...
Wow, it's been a loooooooong time since I last had the time to sit down and write one of these. Unfortunately it will be extremely brief...
For a lot of hockey fans, Boxing Day through the New Year holiday is considered sacred, especially for Canadians. It's the most magical time of year when the best of the best from around the world come together to fight for World Ju...
If you had asked me at the start of this 8 game home stand if I would be happy with the Canucks winning 6 of 8 I would have said sure. And while the two they lost should have been ones they won handily, overall it was a pretty decent run. With the Olympic road trip from hell looming, the Canucks need to continue to get as many points as possible at home, and hope that they...
Fresh off a decisive 4-1 win over the slumping Edmonton Oilers to wrap up an 8 game home stand which saw them go 6-2, the Canucks are right back at it in a huge game tonight against the Flames at the Pengrowth Saddledome. With a win, the Canucks can vault past the Flames into 2nd in the Northwest and 7th place in the Western Conference. It certainly isn't going to be an ea...
The Calgary Flames are moving in the wrong direction in the Western Conference standings. After tonight’s dreadful loss at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks, the Flames now sit in 8th spot in the West, only 2 points up on Detroit. The Flames are falling faster than Tiger Woods bank balance. With only 1 win in the last 7 contests, the Flames continue to play horrifying a...
So finally the Flames get a win in what seems like an eternity and it comes against the Oilers. Getting a win against the Oilers is like getting three wins normally for us fans but even in winning the Flames looked really poor. The Oilers are a team, who like the Flames, have been struggeling lately and on paper the score should have been what it was. The only problem is t...
So the team has been named, the moment Canadians had been waiting for since the last Olympics ended in 2006. Now the debate can begin on who should be there and who shouldn’t be there, why this team will win, why this team won’t win, and all the other fun topics. As it concerns the Flames, the debate will be about whether or not Phaneuf, Bouwmeester or Regehr should ...
This evening, I was blessed to watch a dandy of a hockey game between the rivaling nations, USA and Canada. Right from the outset, the Canadian atmosphere combined with the on-ice action itself made the last junior game of the decade easily the game of the tournament. This game was even better than the New Year's thriller last year. Both teams clearly expressed the desi...
The Canucks (aka the coach killers) take their much improved road show to Big D this morning (grumble grumble)for an 11am PST match against the Stars. The Canucks pulled off a gutsy comeback on NYE against the bafflingly bad at home St. Louis Blues, and now hope to move their road record to 1 game under .500 with a win today.
Dallas is a hard team to figure out as we si...
So today is going to be an interesting game for Canada against the Swiss for a couple reasons. There's a positive and a negative side to playing Switzerland again. Let's start with the negatives.
The Canadians like to make pretty plays and a lot of individual efforts to get the puck into the offensive zone. They do dump it in, but on many occasions try to carry it in. U...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Sabres, Post-game, Caps, Kostitsyns
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Sabres shutout Habs, Capitals, are the Kostitsyn brothers good to go?
http://www.HabsAddict.com
Canada looks great this year, the U.S. team looks fantastic as well, I'm really looking forward to the game tomorrow! Led by Derek Stepan ( N.Y. Rangers) the U.S. has more than a few weapons to worry about, I love their speed and finally seeing creativity out of the U.S. program.
To be a World Champion you have to be in a sport that the world participates in and beat o...
So today's the big day. Record break...or heartbreak.
New Years Eve was a game where many Canadian fans were close to the same nervous feelings as last year against Russia...maybe not quite as dramatic, since elimination wasn't on the line...but still a very important match.
When Canada and the USA met on New Years Eve it was like hitting a brick wall for the Canadia...
Going into tonight's game against the American's there were a few things that Canada HAD to do...
1) Effective PP
2) Little to no individual free wheeling plays
3) Solid goaltending
Let's recap shall we...
1) Canada was 1 for 3 tonight...which isn't really that bad..however against a team where special teams WILL make a difference, they needed. Of course the 1 p...
While the US's John Carlson may be saying his OT winner was a 'lucky shot', the fact that the US team left Saskatoon with the gold around their necks had very little to do with luck. As we saw in the New Years Eve tilt, Canada had little answer for both the American's speed, giving up numerous odd man rushes throughout the game, and their superior defensive ability. All ni...
Hands up if you called the score in this one? Yeah, no one could have predicted this one, even as bad as the Blue Jackets have been lately I don't think anyone would have foreseen this. Especially they way they found themselves up 2-0 early in the first. Instead of seizing the opportunity, the Jackets looked bewildered, and a mere 29 seconds after Kristian Huselius made it...
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...
The schedule finally seems to be wearing on the flames. Last night they looked tired.
To be honest, I don't blame them. Back to back contests are physically draining, and the flames are in the middle of an 11 game stretch that only contains 1 game that is not part of a back to back situation (Jan 2, against the Leafs).
The game on Friday at home against Columbus is...
Matt Reed recaps the World Juniors and discusses a few things we may have learned and have yet to learn...
http://www.TheReedReview.com/Blogs.php
gkmkiller writes...
Re-visiting My Preseason Predictions: Eastern Conference
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Interestingly enough, I found myself reviewing my preseason predictions for the final standings in both the East and the West. In several instances, I was dead on; unfortunately, in others, I was way off. That’s usually the case in these matters.
Just for kicks here’s the links to those posts:
http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=65941&post_id=8516
http://m...
Has anyone taken time to notice how effective Dan Carcillo has been playing? Yes he has taken poor penalties at bad times during important games. Yes he needs better discipline.
But he has had a positive impact on this team. When the Flyers were in their APATHETIC fog, Number 13 continued to hustle, finish his checks, and get under other teams skin. LAV even had him on ...
Everyone has been doing their analysis on team Canada so I decided to do one also. Now that the world juniors is over, congratulations to the USA for winning, all international hockey eyes focuses on the Olympics. Here are my line ups would be and I doubt the fourth line would be used as if playing NHL game where they only used for 5 minutes they would get their fair s...
Disclaimer: this is not a blog about hockey...
Baseball...the professional sport...is like an onion...
Peel back one layer of deception and sure enough, there is another rotten one just below it.
The recent comments made by Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco and Tony LaRussa are a glaring example of this.
McGwire finally admits to using steroids...although he said he ...
icedog97 writes...
Olympic Peace Summit...Penguins and Flyers Fans Unite?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Let's face it...Penguins and Flyers fans love TWO things...
1) Their respective teams...
and
2) to dislike, dare I say hate, the OTHER team/team's fans
But in February, both sides will be put into an akward position as the 2010 Olympics open.
Both teams fans, of mostly US origin, will have (most likely) their favorite players on the roster for Team Canada - Mike...
Everybody is quick to jump all over Gainey for the habs misfortunes. I for one, am guilty of this homerness.
Lets take a look at what he has done:
2003 (the beginning of the Kovalev era), Bob Gainey takes over the GM position from Andre Savard.
Bob Gainey acquires Alexai Kovalev for Josef Balej and a 2nd round pick at the trade deadline.
I don't have to retell ...
The Calgary Flames lost tonight to the defending Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Stricken by a slew of bad penalties and untimely giveaways, the Flames could not handle the strength and of a better Penguins club. The Penguins are faster, bigger, stronger and compete harder in every battle, and it showed on the scoreboard. Despite being able to outshoot the Pengui...
I'll be honest, I've never really been one to look at the nhl numbers closely, but this season is different. We have Tomas Plekanec who is an upcoming UFA, and we have very little cap room to re-sign him. Word around the water cooler is that he'll be looking for 4.5-6 Million for 5 years. Problem with that is with all the money being freed up in the offseason, the habs are...
The Flames lost again last night. The Flames have now lost 5 of their last 6 games. The Flames were shutout last night for the first time all season. They are averaging only 1.33 goals per game over this slide. Iginla is pointless in the last 6 games and a -3 over that span. All in all, there are very few positive things coming out of Flames land these days. About the only...
Everybody raise your hand if you thought that the 7-1 beat down on November 19th against the Chicago Blackhawks would be low point in the season? I would venture to guess that most everyone’s hands would be in the air. Well, the Flames have shocked us once again with their ability to look like a minor affiliate. 9-1…was that a rouge we scored? Was that a football game?...
Well, despite a stronger effort the Flames lost for the 6th straight time and the 8th time in 9 outings. This was also the 3rd straight loss to the Blackhawks this season and 7th straight, not including the post season. That was the Flames 5th straight loss at home to boot; the last win coming on January 2nd against the Toronto Marlies. To think, this team should have come...
[b]Game Summary:[/b]
What a difference a week makes. Two weekends with back-to-back games with two completely different outcomes. While after last weekend, many of the Habs faithful were ready to throw in the towel, this weekend many are hoping that the Habs have turned a corner. I have to caution that until the Habs get on a roll and start putting some separation between...
I will not talk about last night. For me, that “game” didn’t ever happen. I have completely wiped that garbage from my mind. Instead I’m going to talk about some of the rumors that have been reported or repeated on this site.
The first is the alleged request by the Ales Kotalik camp that he be traded or allowed to go to Europe. Beautiful!! Since he has a NMC ge...
Question: What is the difference between a falling tree and the Calgary Flames?
Answer: A tree never gets booed out of its own forest.
Lucky consecutive loss number 7 for the Flames tonight, as they were shut out for the 2nd time in 3 games on home ice. They have scored a staggering 2 goals in their last 4 games at the Saddledome. They must be reading the Tiger Woods...
The Islanders had recent success against some of their more challenging opponents in the Red Wings, Sabres and Devils over the past week but have been unable to stay on board that train to the end of January. First they lost a tough one to the New Jersey Devils, and last night they were embarrassed by Alexander Semin and the Washington Capitals.
It was a rough one to w...
Heartbroken. Disappointed. Frustrated.
All words that describe how the Flames must feel right now. The Flames lost their 8th consecutive game tonight despite holding a lead going into the final period. They fought hard in the 2nd, arguably their best period, but let one squeak by them with only 24 seconds left in the period to cut their lead in half. This event, one of...
Slump Busters.....not quite. The big guns for Calgary: Phaneuf, Iginla and Jokinen all scored while others like Lundmark chipped in with a nice assist. It was not enough. Once again, some unlucky bounces did the Flames in. Not making excuses here at all, but when two unlucky goals go in after being up 3-1, for a fragile team like they are now, it's hard to recover. That do...
Well if this is not the perfect time to face the lowly Oilers, I do not know what is. Coming off of 9, yes 9, consecutive losses, the Flames look to ‘bump the slump’ against the worst team in the NHL on Saturday night. The only solace Flames fans have these days is the fact that the Oilers have lost more in a row (12) and occupy the very bottom of the NHL standings (Ou...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Montreal-Ottawa: Habs rally but fall short in 3-2 OT loss
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Well, that was a much better effort, don't you think?
After stinking up the joint in back-to-back games last weekend, the Habs finally showed up for their Saturday afternoon tilt against the Senators. Unfortunately for the Habs, they ended up losing the game, 3-2, in overtime. Despite the loss, this was a heck of a good game. The speed and skill of both teams shone yest...
When you talk about cleaning house in hockey it's usually not as intense as what Burke has done.
Rarely in todays world do you see a 7 player blockbuster like the one made earlier with the Calgary Flames. And now they've made another big trade. They've cleared off more cap space by somehow managing to convince Anaheim to take Jason Blakes contract basically for nothing....
The Islanders have had Joel "The Wrecker" Rechlicz sitting in the minors but have felt that he needed time to develop his game, as an enforcer, in the AHL before he could be considered as a legitimate NHL fighter.
Trevor Gillies, an AHL journeyman, has been playing with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers this season as well. Last year he played in 30 games with the Albany Riv...
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...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Halak shines in Canadiens 3-2 Win over Canucks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well that was unexpected, don't you think?
The city of Montreal has been buzzing about the Canadiens, recently, and for all of the wrong reasons. While Mike Cammalleri's knee injury - he will not require surgery but will be out for six weeks - has been the talk of the town, it certainly hasn't been the only topic of discussion.
In addition to Cammalleri, the city ha...
In a game the Calgary Flames desperately needed to win, they actually came through and delivered beating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Curtis Glencross had a hat-trick and former Maple Flake Matt Stajan scored the other goal as the Flames dominated from start to finish despite loads of penalty trouble. Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff was again on top of his game, helping lead t...
Is There Any Chance for other Eastern Teams?
With the massive news today of the Kovalchuk to New Jersey trade, I find myself asking an intriguing question: Are there any teams in the East that can compete with the top 3?
Now by top 3, I am not referring to the division leaders in Washington, New Jersey, and Buffalo, I am referring to the Capitals, Devils, and Pengui...
These two teams have only met once so far this season, with three more to go. Buffalo won that meeting 5-1, scoring all their goals in the third period. The Sabres are just 2-5-1 in its last eight games.
Carolina took a 1-0 lead when Aaron Ward scored his first goal of the season. After being outshot 8-4, Buffalo got on the board towards the end of the first. Andrej Sek...
The Flames fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in overtime tonight by a score of 2-1. A hurtful reminder of the last time Calgary lost 2-1 in the St. Pete Times Forum. For those who do not know, it was game 7 of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, a loss that Flames fans will not soon forget.
Two goals by Ruslan Fedotenko was all the Lightning needed that night, as the Flames ran ...
The Flames ran into a very hot team and two very hot players tonight in a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Jason Spezza and Brian Elliott led the way for the Sens who have now won 11 of their past 12 games.
Spezza, for his part, has 12 points in those last 12 games; 10 of them being goals. Brian Elliott, who has won 9 in a row himself before losing to the Leafs on Satu...
As Antti Niemi turned aside all shooters to take an overtime victory over Dallas, dominoes began to fall. Those dominoes included the trade of Thrashers goalie Kari Lehtonen to those same Stars. So what's next? Quite possibly the removal of long time Stars netminder Marty Turco or last years Vezina winner Tim Thomas, and the Blackhawks may be the ones listening. The fact i...
If you creep around Flames forums and sites as much as I do, it's not rocket science to notice the majority of Flames fans think there's another major trade coming from the the bizzare mind of Darryl Sutter; if not "major", then at least a few minor tweaks. Let's look at where the Flames are at right now, and where they need to be...
Right now, the Flames are sitting at...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Montreal-Washington: Habs Win Wild One Over Caps in OT
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, hello! Dr. Jekyll, I presume?
And so the zig-when-you-expect-them-to-zag Canadiens defeated the mighty, streaking Washington Capitals last night, 6-5 in overtime. True to the form that we have gotten used to, the Habs kept their fans guessing by doing the opposite of what the majority expect. Perhaps that is our own fault and we should just learn to expect the une...
Buffalo got off to a quick start on Thursday night with a goal from Derek Roy. Later in the first, Jochen Hecht scored to give the Sabres a two goal lead. The shot went off of a Carolina player and into the net as Hecht earned his first goal in 11 games. Hecht didn't have any other options, so he shot it from a tough angle and it ended up going in. It's never a bad idea to...
I feel like I am in the F$%&ing twilight zone every time I watch this Flames team play hockey. Every game is the same, regardless of who the opponent is. Every goalie is a Vezina trophy winner and every defence is the second coming of the 1995 New Jersey Devils. This Flames team has such ineptitude to scoring goals; you have to wonder if they could find the net agains...
Sayros writes...
3 Maple Leafs in Top 10 Scoring that aren't in the Olympics
Posted Friday | Comments 0
As of tonight, there are three Canadians in the top 10 in NHL scoring that will not be heading to Vancouver for the Olympics. Here's how your top 10 breaks down by Nationality:1 Russian, 2 Swedes, 6 Canadians, 1 Slovak. Of the 6 Canadians in the top 10, Brad Richards, Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis are not currently Olympians. To begin with, I find it interesting that...
The Flames not only won, but they dominated for most of the game tonight beating the Anaheim Ducks 3-1. Jarome Iginla led the way scoring back to back goals in the 2nd period; his 26th and 27th goals of the season. Iginla is now rolling with 5 points in his past 3 contests. He rose to the occasion the way a Captain should. He was skating hard, he was shooting the puck with...
The Olympics may have officially begun competition on Saturday, but it's today that for most of Canada the games really start.
HOCKEY!!!!!!!!
What more could you ask for than to see the best players in the world compete. I know some people that have actually said "I don't see the difference between this and the World Championship, it happens every year". To those peo...
Canadian fans everywhere rejoiced tonight as Jarome Iginla led Team Canada past Team Norway in the opener of 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic games. Iginla, who officially scored 2 goals (most thought he tipped in another), found his way to the top line with Sidney Crosby and Rick Nash after starting the game on the third line with Morrow and Toews. Not that Morrow and Toews ...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Men's Olympic Hockey: Team Canada, Team Russia, Team USA
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After all of the anticipation and the months, if not years, of waiting, we got to watch some Men's Olympic Hockey yesterday, and what a treat it was!
The three games on the menu showcased three Olympic hockey contenders: Team USA, Team Russia, and Team Canada.
No disrespect intended to any of the other teams out there, but there are only a few medal hopefuls in this...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Men's Olympic Hockey: Canada Exorcises Demons v. Swiss
Posted Friday | Comments 0
In defeating Team Switzerland 3-2 in a shootout, yesterday, Canada pulled one out of the fire.
While early on, the game looked like it was going to be a repeat of Team Canada's 8-0 thumping of Team Norway only two days earlier, things changed quickly for the hometown heroes.
Making the score 2-0 only 35 seconds into the second on goals by Heatley and Marleau the Can...
who do you think will come out on top in today's game?I feel that USA will come away with a victory,Or at least im hoping they win. They are a team with a lot of hard workers and heart and soul players.They are the underdogs here which might make them work a little harder especially since it team Canada were playing here.If they do win, it definatley won't be an easy one. ...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Olympic Hockey: Anticipation Peaks on Super Sunday
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Can you feel it? Can you taste it? That palpable anticipation and excitement that is building in Vancouver and is echoing across the hockey world?
It’s growing. And with each minute that passes the anticipation will continue to build on one of the biggest, most important days in international hockey history.
With five hours before the puck drops on what is being c...
This game could be the most important game of the tournament for Team Canada. A Win and they're into the Quarter Finals. A loss and who knows what could happen.
If Canada and the US go to OT/Shootout and Canada win they'll be tied with points, but Canada has a higher goal differential than the US so they would be placed in 1st. If Canada loses in any scenario disaster c...
I've been saying to people all along that the USA is going to be a much tougher team than anyone was giving them credit for.
With the loss today Team Canada has a VERY tough road ahead of them. Germany may not be a tough opponent to have to get past, but after that it's an unreal Russian squad. But before we get into that, let's analyze the ton of things wrong I found w...
Lets just start off by saying "WHOOOOOAAAAA".That was one of the most intense games i have ever seen. One of the best games i ever seen ,An to come out on top makes it even better.The Rangers players Ryan Callahan and Chris Drury who tallied a goal played awesome real good style of defensive hockey blocking shot and finishing checks. Then you have Brain Rafalski had Two bi...
As I sat down with anxiousness prior to the game, I hoped that USA would pull out an upset, much like they did 30 years ago against the Soviets. However, I did know that despite all the hype around Canada's team, I knew there was a weakness. An all-star roster, is just that.
I watched a GREAT game. I emphasis that despite the fact that I was pulling for the US. It was b...
[b]Pronger and Niedermayer or Phanuef and Bouwmeester?[/b]
I'm not going to say I know more than Yzerman about hockey but I saw the Olympics in 2006 and what I saw was that some of the older guys were losing us the game. Pronger especially was a pylon, later finding out he was injured doesn't make it better. I thought if you want a player that can be gritty and hit then...
This is my first HockeyBuzz blog. I couldn't sit quiet anymore.
Marty out, Roberto in please hockey Canada.
I love Martin Brodeur. What honest hockey fan doesn't admire the guy for everything he has meant to the game for the past two decades? Great Job Marty!
But you had a bad game last night.
If they give you another chance, is it possible you turn it around and b...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Ryan Miller Shines, Team USA wins 5-3 over Team Canada
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Thirty years minus a day from the anniversary of the US's 'Miracle on Ice', the 2010 edition of Team USA did their country proud and honored that memory with a 5-3 win over the hometown Canadians.
With three spectacular games on 'Super Sunday', the crown jewel of the day was the Canada-USA match scheduled in the 7:30 PM EST primetime slot. With Russia already having def...
Did I just jump into the Delorian and go back to the year 2006?
The Canadian Men’s Hockey team lost early in the tournament. They are having trouble scoring goals. They will now have to go through Russia to get to the Semi Finals? Turin sure is lovely this time of year.
The Canadians are in a bit of a pickle.
What is the problem you ask? Well, they must now win...
Coming into tonight's game against the Germans, there was little doubt that Canada wouldn't come out flying. I said after the USA game that they would come out like they had something to prove. They'd play hard, play well, and keep up the pressure. And they did exactly that.
Right off the bat Canada was outshooting the Germans 9-0. If there was any doubt of a shattered ...
I purposely did not put an "equals" sign at the end of that equation for two reasons. One - I was never good at math and definitely do not plan on solving it or using any algorithm's where I can substitute numbers to come up with an answer; Two - because the end result is yet to be determined, and although DP and KO are not part of this year's winter Olympics, I still hope...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Men's Olympic Hockey: Team Canada Spanks Germany 8-2, Russia
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Like a cat sharpening its claws before the hunt, Canada warmed up on the Germans yesterday in preparation for today's monstrously huge quarterfinal game versus Russia.
In handily defeating the German team 8-2, Canada qualified for the medal round. In doing so, they generated a little more cohesion on the ice.
While Monday morning saw Team Canada as a nation in the th...
Postgame Recap Quaterfinals
Wow what a day of hockey and what a day for results. Im still stunned on how this day went with every game.I was surprised that Switz gave USA a run for there money, even though we came through with the Win. I still can't get over the Russia vs Canada game who would have thought Canada was going to make it a blowout. I don't think anyone coul...
Just like the title says. Another game coming on Friday against another team.
Last night was definitely something NOBODY saw coming. Before the Canada game with Russia I said it was going to be a close game and predicted a 5-4 Canada win...I wasn't alone in thinking it would be close. Most analysts agreed, however it turned out to not even be a contest.
I knew for sure Canada would come out strong on the puck and forecheck hard, but I never imagi...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Men's Olympic Hockey: Team Canada Steamrolls Team Russia 7-3
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Yesterday's quarterfinal matchup between Canada and Russia had a lot of hype surrounding it. And why not?
Canada versus Russia, where Canada has not beaten the Russians in Olympic competition for 50 years.
Sidney Crosby versus Alex Ovechkin, where the two best players in the world collide after their monumental playoff clash last year.
Canada versus Russia, where ...
POSTGAME ANALYSIS:
USA vs Finland
Well i can't say i could have called the game to be like that(A Blowout).But i can say i called the game.USA just showed the world that they not only deserve to be in Gold Medal game,But that they are ready to take it. The game got out of hand real fast with 6 goals in the first period.Forcing Finland to change there Goalie with 4 goa...
"SILLY SEASON".
Transactions already made:
Thrashers Acquire Evgeny Artyukhin from Anaheim for Nathan Oystrick and a Conditional Draft Choice in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft
Oilers have dealt Grebeshkov to Nashville for a second round pick.
Florida trades Jordan Leopold to Pittsburgh for a 2nd round pick in 2010
Matt Stajan has agreed to terms with Calgary Flame...
First up...
(1) Carolina - With the recent show of great team chemistry and the close proximity to the last play-off spot, combined with the trouble in getting Ray Whitney to waive his NTC for a team who won't offer a major multi-year extension - it is becoming less likely that Whitney may be moved. In fact, Jimmy Rutherford might just pull off a major acquisition if th...
Gold Medal Finals:USA VS CAN
This is the match up of the Century.We all were routing against Canada in the last mins of Slovakia game, But deep in our heart we all wanted to see this match up. I believe this going to be a great game, No blowout . There are Great goalies that will be playing(Miller,Loungo).There is going to be alot of Defense i feel more than the first g...
Reminiscent of Salt Lake City in 2002, the final event of the winter games came down to the US and Canada. In the end, Canada won. I just heard on TV that this win may be considered the best moment in Canadian sports history. I strongly disagree. This Canadian team may have been very good, but not the best in these Olympic games.
On paper, Canada had the best team. They...
I've always been disinterested with the Summer/Winter Olympics, (excluding Men's hockey) as I'm sure many people are. To me it just always seemed kind of lame (for lack of a better word). While I always respected the tremendous athletes that show up to these events, I've never found it to be anything but outdated......until 2010.
What with all the commercials we've see...
So if that wasn’t the most exciting, intense, stressful, awesome, amazing, breathtaking, edge of your seat hockey entertainment, I am not sure what is! This tournament provided some amazing hockey and one of the best finishes ever! You could not write a story better than that! Sidney Crosby scoring the overtime winning goal will go down with Paul Henderson’s goal in 7...
I originally planned to post a general post-gold-medal game, pre-deadline blog this afternoon. However, though I expected an epic game, I had no idea just how epic. I genuinely was not expecting Sidney Crosby and Jarome Iginla to give Canada a truly generational hockey moment.
The goal will be discussed for years; it instantly joined the pantheon of legendary moments i...
I'd like to point out, because the focus has obviously been on the win, that the U.S. played an amazing game and have solidified themselves as a major hockey power, I know they were disappointed but I hope they don't hang their heads too low. They won with dignity and they lost the medal game with dignity, I think all Americans can be incredibly proud of their team.
>>>...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Destiny on Ice Fulfilled, as Team Canada Wins 3-2 over USA
Posted Monday | Comments 0
As I sit here sipping my third glass of wine and watching Sidney Crosby skate around the ice surface of GM Place waving an oversized Canadian flag from a pole, I am reminded of how proud I am to be Canadian.
The emotion that surrounded Canada's dramatic overtime win today was palpable over the course of the weekend.
Every person I talked to, every store I went into a...
I know this is a little late but after a game like the Canada-USA game, I had to compose myself before writing about it.
Going into the game one of biggest questions was "who can score first". Throughout the tournament leading up to the final game 26 or the 29 teams to score first won. In any hockey game the first goal is always important, but in this tournament it was ...
The Calgary Flames signed Matt Stajan and Rene Bourque to long contract extensions. In my opinion, both do not make a lot of sense.
As much as I like him as a player, Rene Bourque has been injury riddled since he started his NHL career. Only once has he played over 70 games in a season; his rookie campaign in Chicago when he played 77 games and recorded 34 points. The f...
I can see the line-up at the hospital for broken ankles is getting pretty long, as people have been jumping off of the bandwagon at a tremendous pace.
Fresh off one of the worst sets of trades I have ever witnessed, the Calgary Flames lay a massive egg on the ice tonight against the Minnesota Wild. Fortunately I did not have to bear witness to this game tonight so I re...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Montreal-Los Angeles: Habs Strong Play Delivers Win v. Kings
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Olympic break seems to have done a lot of good for the Montreal Canadiens.
Not only did they get their walking wounded back from injuries -- with the exception of Michael Cammalleri and Marc-Andre Bergeron -- but they seem invigorated for the stretch run.
Despite losing to the Sharks the other night the Habs played some great hockey against one of the league's po...
Maybe they were listening when everyone in the hockey world was laying into them for the horrible moves they made at the trade deadline and the atrocious game they followed with that night. The Calgary Flames (32-24-9) were a team that could not score. They have suddenly turned on the afterburners with ten goals in 2 games.
Leading the way is Jarome Iginla who recorded...
That is the sense I get from this Flyer team.
Almost there.
The offense is starting to play with a greater level of consistency than I've seen for most of the year.
It might take some time after the Olympic break for the defensive pairs to gel as a cohesive unit., but it seems like they're getting there.
As for the goaltending, I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised...
The Calgary Flames won their 4th game in a row tonight for the first time since early January when they strung together 5 straight victories.
Mikka Kiprusoff blanked the Ottawa Senators 2-0, for his 4th shutout of the season and his first since November 30th; when he shutout the Nashville Predators 5-0. Kiprusoff was sharp all night long as he blocked all 33 shots the ...
One play can often be the turning point in a game, but rarely do you see one play possibly be the turning point in a season.
That might have been the case this evening.
Tonight, in front of a sold out crowd at the Pengrowth Saddledome, Curtis Glencross was awarded a penalty shot with 1:30 remaining in the 2nd period. He skated back towards Kiprusoff who was smiling...
Rob McGowan writes...
Isles Send Gold Medalist To The Bench, Silence Media
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Put that as your headline, Vancouver.
Last night the Islanders visited the Canucks and defeated them 5-2, ending their seven game home winning streak. John Tavares exploded with a five point effort, a new career high that paved the way for the win.
The Islanders started the game with a very strong first period, coming away with a 2-0 lead on eight shots. The goals c...
The score in tonight’s Avs-Flames game was 3-2 for 5th time this season.
It’s as if no other outcome is possible.
However, this time, the Calgary Flames finally beat the Colorado Avalanche on the back of a stand out performance by Miikka...err Vesa Toskala?
Is Calgary the place to go when you are Finnish, a goalie, and not performing how you should? Is Darry...
I've noticed frustration seems to be a growing trend amongst Hockeybuzz bloggers. Most of it is probably warranted. The impression I get lately by reading this site is there are alot of teams straight up playing like garbage. So many reads of 'This team has no heart whatsoever", or "Cue the generic post game interview".
Don't get me wrong here, I really enjoy the bloggi...
This is the final meeting between these two teams for the regular season. The Hurricanes have won two of the first three, despite being towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Tim Connolly began the scoring with a power play goal to give the Sabres a 1-0 lead. Buffalo played a solid first period, only allowing six shots on goal.
In the second period, Jochen Hec...
There are 11 games left in the season. The Flames are playing one of the four opponents that they definitely should beat. Miikka Kiprusoff is the Flames MVP and starting goalie. Vesa Toskala, the Flames back-up, starts in between the pipes.
Can someone please explain this to me?
I don’t care about Brent Sutter’s hunches that Miikka can’t play the Wild and tha...
THE FACTS
The Penguins currently sit 2 points ahead of the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Atlantic Division.
The Devils have a game in hand on the Penguins.
Without getting into specific scenarios (and assuming the teams play to the same W/L records the rest of the way), if the Devils win that "game in hand" they will win the division based on the NHL ti...
HerbyIsGood writes...
Sabres steal win with ingenious rope-a-dope technique.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens came out with guns a blazing tonight, unfortunately for them NHL games are 60 minutes long. The Sabres didn't look too bad in the first, but had trouble getting pucks to the net. Montreal on the other hand scored just 41 seconds into the game, as Kostitsyn managed to flick the puck over Miller's right pad off of a pass from Plekanec.
The Sabre...
Last night's 4-3 shootout loss to the league leading Washington Capitals was, oddly enough, a welcomed sight to many Pens fans.
Of course, after the "sleepwalking" effort they put forth Monday night against the Red Wings, anything resembling a "conscious" attempt to compete last night would have been a marked improvement.
Even so, and without question, last night's g...
“You're not, you're not good, Al. You stink.”
That was Ty Webb referring to Al Czervik’s golf game in Caddyshack.
He might as well have been referring to the 2009-10 version of the Calgary Flames as they all but sealed there playoff fate Thursday night on the Island with a 3-2 loss to the third worst team in the league.
With only eight games remaining and ...
According to Sportsclubstats.com the Calgary Flames have a 4.7% chance of making the postseason. A slim, faint, flicker of hope, but hope nonetheless.
The schedule is not very easy but the Flames have no other options than to run the table for the rest of the season, and even then they need help to get into the tournament.
If they win all six remaining games then ...
Alright fellow Philly fans. It's time for me to make some rash statements about our favorite hockey club. It's time to make a final prediction for the season and do some speculating regarding roster moves for the summer.
First of all, the Flyers have signed another random 3rd string goalie to make a ridiculous attempt at fulfilling sports' toughest position in order f...
Tuesday...Pens and Caps at the Igloo...7:30
The Caps have to play the Bruins tonight...the Pens will be fresh tomorrow, a couple of days after a come from behind win against the Thrashers.
The Pens should win easily...ok...kidding...
The Capitals have had a GREAT regular season...and they are the President's Trophy winners. They have won 51 games (to date) and wil...
After weeks of uncertainty the Calgary Flames are officially eliminated from Stanley Cup playoff contention. This ends days, weeks and months of faint hope and un-needed stress for most Flames fans who still wanted to believe this team was destined for the big dance.
It was the 3rd overall pick in the 2009 draft, Matt Duchene, who officially eliminated the Flames, when...
Last night was another example of the Penguins NOT "getting to their game" against a quality opponent.
Against division leaders this year the Pens have routinely not gotten to "their game", going a remarkable 3-11-3 in those contests (all 3 wins vs the Sabres).
That's the record of LAST YEAR'S Stanley Cup Champions against THIS YEAR'S Stanley Cup Finals favorites.
...
The OttoMan writes...
Historical Novels/Essays/Testimonies- 1972 Summit Series
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I'm looking to do a 2000+ word Historical Investigation on the 1972 Summit Series and its influence on Canadian Nationalism/The Cold War. Does anyone know of any good novels or essays or any historical information on the Summit Series? Interviews especially welcome. I know the basics but I wasn't alive at the time, so I need some first hand information.
Also: If anyone ...
Here are my deals:
To Boston:
Iginla
Sarich ( Yes Boston has the space to take on this salary.)
3rd pick
To Calgary:
TOR 1st
Wheeler (RFA)
Colborne
Ryder
To STL:
Kiprusoff (they lose mason)
Langkow ( add on)
Irving
White
Moss
To CGY:
Pieterangelo
1st pick
Boyes ( add on)
Allen or Bishop
To COL, WSH or LA:
Regher
Dawes
3rd round pick
T...
Well, the season finally comes to an end and the Calgary Flames have missed the playoffs for the first time since 2003. What is wrong? What needs to be done? What has transpired that led to this? Well to diagnose the problem we must go back to the beginning.
The season opened in early October with a much hyped match-up between the Flames and their arch rival Vancouver ...
There are some UFA's that are available this summer that would make a fan salivate at the thought of seeing their name on the back of your favorite jersey like the Kovulchucks of the world. Having said that I always like seeing who is RFA, even better yet who is RFA on a team that is cap tight?
The first thing you have to do is identify the cap tight teams for next year...
With credit to Damian Cox of the Toronto Star, TSN.ca reported last night that the New York Rangers have agreed to a deal with, what some consider the under sized Mats Zuccarello-Aasen. Zuccarello-Aasen hails from Norway, and in the 2010 Olympic Games he lead his nation in scoring in their four games in the tournament.
In 55 games for Modo in the Swedish Elite League t...
BluemanGuruu writes...
Some Intial Thoughts concerning the Blues' Draft
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
There's a lot of interesting players in this draft. As always it depends on who is drafting in front of you and who they chose and how you have your draft board ranked.
I'm of the opinion that you go for skill heavily balanced with character. You only break from character in later rounds looking for home-run picks, the kind which can gain value in a potential trade.
...
Here are my picks for some of the major awards from the 2009-10 NHL season. Each of the awards has three finalists selected by the NHL. The actual winners will be announced over the summer in Las Vegas.
Norris Trophy- Top Defenseman
Duncan Keith (Chicago Blackhawks)- Keith edges out other finalists Drew Doughty (LAK), and Mike Green (WAS) because of his strong defen...
HockeyGalMke writes...
Montreal wins game seven to eliminate Washington...wait, WHAT?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Did I really just see Montreal eliminate Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals from the Stanley Cup playoffs?
I'm going to be quite honest with you. I pride myself on knowing a thing or two about pro hockey, and I like to think I have a knack for filling out brackets (not that my NCAA bracket this year would reflect that statement...), but I did NOT see this coming...
With the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs entering its second leg tomorrow night, I thought it would be interesting to look at some former Calgary Flames that are thriving in this years big dance.
The obvious one, right off the bat, is Montreal forward Mike Cammalleri. He signed in Montreal for 5 years at $6 million per season, after leading the Flames in goals last season wi...
The Canadiens have completed an improbable (some might have said a week ago that it was "impossible" ) comeback from down 3-1 to defeat the Washington Capitals 4 games to 3.
In so many ways, it really was a case of David slaying Goliath.
To defeat a powerful offensive club like the Capitals takes a lot of hard work and determination.
To do it with a team that is m...
I am impressed by this post by Ted Leonsis on his blog. I had to share!
http://www.tedstake.com/2010/04/29/congratulations-to-montreal/
The 2009-10 Montreal Canadiens...Masters of Deception?
For several games during these playoffs, against the Capitals and now at least once against the Penguins, the Canadiens have shown a...dare I say "magic"?...that is tough to deny.
It goes something like this...
Let the other team get the majority of the shots and scoring chances...we'll just wait and capitaliz...
(2) Chicago
vs.
(3) Vancouver
[b]Prediction: Canucks in 7[/b]
[i]Synopsis[/i]: Game 1 was an absolute blowout for the Canucks, but the youth and talent of Chicago will definitely be able to mount a comeback in the series. Roberto Luongo struggled early in the playoffs, but now looks like he is back to gold-medal form. What a season it would be for Roberto to win the ...
At the start of the playoffs, you might have figured that the player with the most points would be a superstar like Sidney Crosby, and you wouldn’t have been wrong with that assertion. What many people did not see coming were the two players that follow Crosby in that category: Joe Pavelski and Mike Cammalleri.
The San Jose Sharks have been desperately searching over...
So the Oilers want to go ahead and draft one of the OHL's best players?
Well in what appears to be a smart move, Darryl Sutter has signed Bryan Cameron of the Barrie Colts. Who's Bryan Cameron?
Bryan is a notable signing as he led the OHL in goals this year, not Seguin, not Hall but Cameron. 52 goals. Haven't heard of him? I'm not surprised, neither have I. The prob...
I was going to call this blog..."Just Not As Good As Last Year" when describing what I thought of the Penguins after last night's 4-3 loss in Game 6 to the Canadiens.
But then I looked back over the first two rounds from last year again...and realized that sometimes our minds play tricks on us.
We remember watching the raising of the Cup in Detroit...and then we kind...
What defines a Cinderella team when it comes to the NHL playoffs?
I would have to say that the team finished the regular season in either 6th, 7th or 8th place and managed to come on top with multiple upset victories in the playoffs, pushing the franchise to the Stanley Cup Finals. In recent years, fans have seen the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oi...
People will point to the downfall of the Penguins against the Canadiens and site numerous different reasons for the failure.
Halak stole the show
Fleury didn't step up
Cammaleri could not be contained
Crosby and Malkin couldn't score
The Habs took advantage of Penguin mistakes
The Penguins couldn't take advantage of the Canadien's mistakes
The Habs defense stifled...
lonerogue writes...
Canada has no team in the NHL, not even the Canadiens
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
By Aaron Wrotkowski
With the Conferences Finals for the Stanley Cup set to begin on Sunday, it seems that NHL viewers have been captivated by the Cinderella run of the Montreal Canadiens. Defeating the President’s Trophy winner and the defending Stanley Cup champions with a game strategy that seemed to put most of the pressure on a hot goaltender and well instructed ...
The Philadelphia Flyers are going to be the toughest opponents that the Montreal Canadiens have faced thus far in this year’s playoffs. That’s not only because Peter Laviolette’s 2010 squad is somewhat reminiscent of the old school Broad Street Bullies, but because they are a team that wins by out-working their opponents and doesn’t rely on raw talents like Ovechki...
As I said in my earlier post...[b]FLYERS IN 7![/b]
What an unbelievable comeback. To go down 3-0 in the series, and THEN 3-0 in game 7 and to come back and win is just unreal.
For the Bruins, it is simply unacceptable. This collapse was truly the worst in the history of all of sports.
I don't want to hear the injuries excuse, because the Flyers played the entire s...
[b]PREDICTION: SAN JOSE IN 6[/b]
[i]Offense[/i]: This series should be an explosive one offensively. Both teams have a slaughterhouse full of ammo. The fact is, San Jose has Thornton-Marleau-Heatley, but Pavelski leads the team in scoring. The fact that they are getting secondary scoring is huge. Meanwhile, Toews leads the NHL in playoff scoring, as expected. But c...
After the disappointing last day failure against the flyers. As a Rangers fan I need to find some sort of hope for a better season. So I turned to two things, the draft lottery and a potential Winter Classic appearance. For a while it looked as if things might turn our way. We got a top 10-pick draft pick. The Capitols and Pittsburgh were knocked out early and the playoffs...
The Windsor Spitfires won their second straight Memorial Cup on Sunday night beating the host Brandon Wheat Kings by a score of 9-1 in the final; a real barn burner of an affair.
The Wheat Kings qualified for the final by beating the WHL Champion Calgary Hitmen in an overtime thriller. The Wheat Kings qualified for the tournament by having the right address.
The lo...
''What we want to do here is put an end to the death watch; to other people's speculation. We move forward.'' – Ken King, CEO and President of the Calgary Flames-
The ‘Death Watch’ he was referring to was that of Darryl Sutter’s relationship with the Calgary Flames organization and whether or not he would be the General Manager of the team for the upcoming 2010-...
Killing It
The NHL has beaten the Crosby v Ovechkin “rivalry” to the end. Now they look to do the same with the Winter Classic. To me the Winter Classic was taking on a persona as the rare meeting of two teams in a unique enviorment. Something no other sport really does. As a fan I felt that if I have to wait a few years just to see my team in the classic that’s...
“Ken came out and said that, but it wasn’t important for me to have that publicly. It’s more important what happens internally.”
Darryl Sutter made these comments in response to Ken King coming out last week and publicly endorsing the Flames GM. We all are aware of Sutter’s dealings with the media and how he, how do I say this, would rather eat hot garbage tha...
The Chicago Blackhawks.
The Chicago Blackhawks are a team two games away from winning the Stanley Cup. I don’t think it is a big surprise that they are in this position. They were supposed to do that. Many pundits picked them to hoist the cup this year after showing a promising and educational jaunt through the playoffs last year. And if they capture the Cup, then thi...
The Calgary Flames have, for better or worse, decided to stay the ship. And staying the ship means keeping Daryl Sutter. They have decided that radical changes are not needed. In their infinite wisdom, they are not going to trade any of the top players or prospects to get a number one pick. Unless, of course, Mr. Sutter can hypnotize one of the general managers into tak...
Is it possible that the Semin deal involves Calgary and a 'star goaltender most think is untouchable'?
Think about it...
If we could get back Semin, a blue chipper and Varlamov, isn't Kipper and Sarich (or even Regehr) worth it?
There are a few UFA goalies that we could pick up as well...
This time of year is always the hardest time on me, because it marks the sad anniversary of my father's passing. A few years back, I wrote a blog on nostalgia, and got some huge reviews of it. So on with another blog on the golden years of hockey, in honour of my father.
I remember the Canada Cup in 1976. One of my favorite players was Daryl Sittler, who was the cap...
Perhaps the most anti-climatic goal in playoff overtime history, but it still counts. The Chicago Blackhawks had an unbelievable ride to the top this past season and they deserved to win the Stanley Cup.
Just a few days later, it's already time to start looking ahead to next season. The NHL draft is only a couple of weeks away, as well as the award ceremony. On June 22n...
With the draft only days away now and July 1st fast approaching I thought it was an ideal time to take a closer look at the Flames overall situation when it pertains to the talent on the ice and what Darryl Sutter needs to do in order to assure that he keeps his job past April of 2011.
First off, Gary Bettman announced that the Salary Cap for the 2011-12 will increase ...
So the 2009-2010 season is done and gone. The Chicago Blackhawks are the Stanley Cup Champions, and that may just be a good thing for Leafs fans. Despite leaving us as both the only original six team that has not won a Stanley Cup post expansion, and at present the team in the NHL that is currently on the longest Stanley Cup drought.
Hopefully an important step to ending ...
After dissecting the backend and goaltending situation of the Calgary Flames I thought I would conclude by taking a further look into the quagmire of grinders and checkers that are the Flames forwards.
Currently the Flames have 10 forwards signed at $28,954,166. The rundown of players looks like this:
Jarome Iginla –Age 31, $7,000,000
Daymond Langkow-Age 32, $4,5...
Being a Habs fan, I can certainly understand why many of you are outraged at this trade. I, on the other hand am not. In fact, my respect for Pierre Gauthier just went up another notch for the kahonies he displayed by making this trade.
I will agree that Halak was fantastic in the playoffs but I will not agree that he was the only reason the Habs made it to the 3rd roun...
I've never posted an online blog but here it goes. In 700 word or less, I will try to give you my input on the Jaroslav Halak saga.
So what do I think about this whole ordeal? Well there are many things that have to be taken into consideration. Am I happy Halak was traded even though we stilled owned his rights? With most other teams I would’ve said no but as he had e...
What does it mean when Sutter signs Breen and Cameron as UFA prospects? It means that they are his 1st and 2nd round picks in essence.
Cameron had more goals than any other CHL player, more than Hall, more than Seguin, more than Eberle, more than Beach even more than number 10 on the list, and Flames prospect, Ryan Howse.
Flames fans, Cameron IS our first round pick. H...
[img]http://www.itsallaboutlappy.com/2008_09pics/blackhawks10_5.jpg[/img]
The Edmonton Oilers mad a solid depth move last night by acquiring Centre Colin Fraser from the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks for a 6th round pick, 151 Overall. Fraser, who played junior hockey with Brent Sutter’s Red Deer Rebels, was the Hawks’ fourth-line centre much of this past s...
Been a little more then 8 months since I last wrote a blog, and since we are just under 24 hours from the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. I have been keeping tabs on many of the mock drafts and many bloggers predictions on what the 1st round will look like. Most especially the top 10. We all know Taylor Hall and Tyler Seguin will be the 1st 2 players selected come friday night, but...
Well, it's been a little over a week since Mr. Gauthier sent our Slovakian playoff wonderboy out of La Belle Province and off to St. Louis for... Lars Eller (He's danish...yummy) and Ian Shultz (No not the D-man who was a +50 for the Caps, that was his brother) and consequently sending the city into an outrage while rekindling that old nickname our GM was crowned with in A...
WarHero writes...
Habs trade up for 22nd pick, take D-Man, Jarred Tinordi!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Folks, The Habs Brass has impressed me yet again!
Montreal GM Pierre Gauthier saw an opportunity to move up in the draft and jumped on it! The Habs traded 1st(27) and 2nd rounds picks to Phoenix for 1st(22) and 4th round picks, all 2010.
According to various sources, the player Vancouver was waiting for was in fact, Jarred Tinordi. I can only assume that Gauthier c...
The offseason in sports is normally a bittersweet time for us fans. A lot of energy is expended looking at rumor websites, watching highlights, and contemplating the needs of their beloved team for an upcoming season. If your team happens to have won a championship (as the Chicago Blackhawks did this year) an offseason may be filled with higher highs than a fan could hav...
Well folks, the 2010/2011 Habs are starting to take shape.
On Monday, June 28th, the Habs announced the signings of Tom Pyatt and Benoit Pouliot.
Pyatt was acquired as part of the blockbuster trade that brought Scott Gomez to the Habs. He played 40 games for the Habs, picking up five points in the process. While not a major offensive component, Pyatt was a strong two...
There is no doubt the rumors now begin that Vancouver Canucks will trade a defenseman now that they’ve acquired Dan Hamhuis, and the name on everyone’s tongue is Kevin Bieksa. This doesn’t really make much sense in a short-term or long-term view.
Mason Raymond is at this time without a contract. It is safe to assume he is probably looking at a 3 year deal worth ...
I woke up on Canada Day feeling like it was Christmas day as the NHL Free Agent Frenzy was upon us and all sorts of excitement was about to unfold. Some big moves right off the bat that saw Gonchar sign with the Sens. I saw that Vancouver had thrown a pile of money at Manny Malhotra. I had to look twice when I saw that New York gave Derek Boogaard $6.5 million over 4 years...
I don't know if anybody else heard it yesterday... a loud and resonant “WTF???"(Why the face?) emanating from the general Flames fan-wagon. I heard it echo from my living room moments after passing my lips also, but the more I think about it, the more I agree with the move. Sure, Olli Jokinen was overpaid and “underperformed” last year for the Flames, and I still w...
Hello,
My name is Ryan Smith. I am 21 years old and a huge Flyers fan for life. This is my first article writing about the Flyers (and really about anything) so I don't expect much, but I do expect to get better as I go along.
[b]Thoughts on the Free Agency Frenzy:
[/b]
Just before the free agency frenzy began at noon on the 1st of July, it was announced that ...
The Flyers Prospect Camp roster and schedule have been announced. With a few of the Flyers forwards on the trading block look for a young guy to step in as a regular for the big club.
Roster
Forwards
Michael Chaput
Shane Harper
Ben Holmstrom
Dave Labrecque
Tye McGinn
Luke Pither
Brendan Ranford
Zac Rinaldo
Andrew Rowe
Mike Testwuide
Eric Wellwood
Defens...
Hmmm... Jay Feaster is the new Flames assistant GM... or is that assistant TO the GM?
Could it be that after swapping out the amateur scouts they've now realized that Sutter is at the very least in need of some "assistance"? Perhaps his first order of business should be to show Darryl where the door is and pass on the old axiom about letting it hit him on the way out. ...
When Brian Burke added Mike Komisarek and Francois Beauchemin to an established Leafs cast of Luke Schenn, Tomas Kaberle, Ian White and Jeff Finger it looked to all that the Toronto GM had built himself an enviable problem. A premium blueline, arguably one of the finest in the Eastern Conference, that also came with a premium price tag.
Of course, what began an enviable...
So rumor has it that Ilya Kovalchuk may settle for something less then a billion dollars over 2 years. Apparently, the Flyers have shown direct interest in signing this 50 goal scorer. But with cap issues already a problem, this may be a little more difficult then it appears.
With Simon Gagne rumored to be on his way out, this will bring the Eastern Conference Champions t...
10 year deal.....12 year deal.....15 year deal.....17 year deal.
Which of these deals is related to the New York Islanders? Any and all would be the correct answer in a previous year—but not in 2010.
How many of you fans have come onto these boards and poked fun of, cried, and lamented about how pathetic our team owner—Charles Wang has become. And that lame brain...
Source: NJ.com
John MacLean turned out to be a pushover in his first day on the ice as Devils head
bill-kostrounAP.jpgBill Kostroun/APLarry Robinson was back as an assistant coach as the Devils opened prospects camp.
coach.
He cancelled a scheduled scrimmage as prospects camp opened today at the Prudential Center, but players shouldn't get a false sense of comfor...
The Hawks kept one of their best up and coming Defenseman today as they matched the San Jose Sharks offer sheet to Niklas Hjalmarsson, a 4 year, $14 million contract. Some say they overpaid to keep the 23 year old but he has the potential to be better. The problem is that of the cap hit this will cause on the Blackhawks and what happens with contract talks with Antii Nie...
[img]http://www.rds.ca/images/chroniques/302489.jpg?20100713090433 [/img]
Finally, the Montreal Canadiens have announced today the signing of Maxim Lapierre for 1 year worth almost 900K.
It seems a good decision to me regarding the terms of the deal because Lappy has something to prove an we know that he's going work to very hard to get to stay a couple more seasons...
[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....
When the Flames gave up three or more goals, they only won 10 of 37 games; proof that scoring goals was a serious issue for the team. However, despite the inability of the Calgary Flames to put pucks into the opposing net, rarely did they have too many issues with keeping the puck out of their own net. They ranked 5th in the league in ‘goals against per game’ with 2.48...
So as I sit here at my desk in Toronto, reading all the blogs in the Hockeybuzz society, I find myself without a voice. I think it's time I started giving feedback to the community I hear but not being heard. Perhaps it's my faint desire to be heard from the actual decision makers in the NHL. Or maybe it's creating a 'spark', an idea, or even topic of conversation for t...
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 ...
turdadactyl writes...
NHL's Rejection of Kovalchuk Deal a Line in the Sand
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
With the NHL’s rejection of Ilya Kovalchuk’s deal with the Devils, the debate has broken out as to what constitutes circumvention of the CBA and what’s a fair deal. Hockeybuzz’s Sam Woo sees the rejection as evidence of a double standard in the NHL’s policies and a misstep that casts the NHL as a “Mickey Mouse organization.” Admittedly, any line drawn in th...
Talk about crazy! I could not believe what I was reading when the Devils signed Kovalchuk to a 17 year contract. I thought Lou must have gone crazy. Then I started to see details and didn’t like what I saw right away. I know Pronger, Hossa, and others have contracts that back down on money at the end to lower the average cap hit, but not 7 years worth! That length is...
We have heard a lot from our friends to the North about their development camp, how it got sold out because people wanted to see the likes of Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paarvi. You can't disagree the copper and blue have a fair amount of young talent coming up in their system but what about the Flames? It has been said the Flames cupboard is empty and that they ...
Hello ranger fans and well hockey fans in general. My name is Ian and when it comes to hockey especially the rangers i have a lot to say.
Lets get started with talking about the insanely ridiculous contract of Wade Redden. As if giving him 6.5 million dollars a year isn't bad enough, (when watching him 82+ games a year he is clearly worth 1.5-2.4 million area), Sather...
This is less of a blog and more of an article on Nyren that I wrote for another website. Thought it had some local flavour and might give some more insight into another potential Flames propspect.
Calgary Hitmen defenceman Giffen Nyren does not belong to any National Hockey League team; not yet at least.
After being invited to the Minnesota Wild camp last summer, he...
Notes from Day 2
Mikael Backlund
Backlund continues to be the best prospect on the team. He proved it again today. He was awesome today. His skating skills were particularly strong, he was smooth and fast. He has a great shot and terrific speed and vision.
John Negrin
Negrin continued to shine today. His skating skills are best by far among all the defenseman. ...
I have been bored out of my mind over the last two weeks, the entry draft is far behind us, free agency has slowed to a crawl, arbitration hearings are the last exiting thing that remains. And we all know how boring arbitration is. Case-48 hours-decision-48hours-another decision. kill me now! So while this summer drags on I have been thinking of how Pierre Gauthier seems t...
To make a long story short, for those who have not seen the summer blockbuster Inception (which I highly recommend you do), a totem is an object that separates reality from dream. The totem distinguishes reality from dream because it takes on different characteristics in a dream state. Therefore, if the owner of the totem knows their totem well enough, they should be able ...
There has been a fair amount of Habs news to discuss since last night. With Louis Leblanc choosing to leave Harvard to play for the Montreal Junior, Pierre Gauthier signing Alexandre Picard, and much more, it was definitely time to put together some thoughts.
What does Leblanc's return to Montreal mean for his career and for the Montreal Canadiens? Why did the Canadiens...
With rumors surrounding the Chicago organization is ready to sign Marty Turco to a 1 yr 1.5 mil contract if they decide they can't/won't afford to keep Antti Niemi, all Hawks fans will be watching this situation closely over the next 24 hours. Niemi was awarded a 1 yr, 2.75 mil contract in arbitration and with the Hawks tight cap situation, more moves will likely be in ord...
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...
Today another piece of the puzzle that formed the 2010 Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks has left the nest. Today, Blackhawks GM, Stan Bowman, decided to use his right to walk away from awarding the 1 year, $2.75million contract set by an arbitrator to Antti Niemi.
On the flipside, the Blackhawks have also come to terms with ex-Dallas Star goalie, Marty Turco. T...
wangzhiyuan writes...
Contact your local DIY store for more information on these
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Contact your local DIY store for more information on these.All you need to do next is to make a little investment in something called draft excluders.The first step is to go outside and take a walk around your home and [url=http://www.airjordanssale.com]air jordan shoes[/url] pay attention to the details of your home's construction work.Areas needing improvements are usual...
New at The Checking Line, I analyze and rank the seasons of the Canadiens top six forwards, assigning each a letter grade and sharing my expectations for each for this upcoming season.
Where did each player land? How good were they? Read the blog to find out at the link below!
[url=http://thecheckingline.com/blog/george-prax/montreal-canadiens/off-season-analysis-t...
As the systemic dismantling of this summer’s Stanley Cup champions continues in earnest, league watchers are crying foul. Where detractors of the current, hard revenue based cap once denounced the communistic, unilateral sharing of league revenue as the prime illustration of illogic in the CBA (alongside the long-long term contract loopholes), Monday’s exit of Antti Ni...
Wayne Gretzky's lowest point total in the 80's was his NHL rookie debut, 137 points. He topped out at 215 points, he also had 212 and 205 point totals. Ridiculous. Todays NHL the max out has been 125 points by "Big Joe" Thornton. Why are point totals so much lower? I mean Crosby is portrayed as the closest thing to Gretz, but I can only see him matching Messier, Crosby wou...
Let me start this by saying, I am not a Capitals fan. I am also not a Red Wings fan. I am on the opposite side of the hockey world as a Penguins fan. I do also have respect for great hockey teams and a greater respect for great organizations, so while I don't like the Wings and Caps, I do respect them. The Red Wings have been a dominant team for years and will continue tha...
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...
So Montreal trade their top AHL prospect goalie to the Lightening for Karri Ramo who is playing in the KHL. Their current top goalie on the team is Alex Auld since Carey Price is not signed with the Habs. So now they have the rights to Ramo and Sanford. So does this mean Sanford and Auld battle for the starters job so long as Price holds out. At this rate Montreal...A driv...
Every year some average Nhl player or young stud who hasent lived up to expectations has a huge breakout season. Jussi Jokinen went from a waiver pickup to a 30 goal 65 point player. Genrally younger players tend to breakout in their 3rd or fourth campaign. In this blog i shall post up 10 players who i think will breakout this year . Here are my top 10 breakout players for...
stinger67 writes...
Disagreement among fans or just a shock of generations?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
(Please keep in mind that english is a second language for me, so I apologize in advance for every mistake or misused word. Thanks)
Throughout the summer, we could witness a rollercoaster ride of emotions among Habs fans. With Halak gone, some of them are asking for Gauthier's head on a platter. We can witness a true difference of opinions.
I think it's normal. I me...
With the addition Wednesday of Michel Goulet as their Western Professional Scout, the Calgary Flames have slowly surrounded Darryl Sutter with some much needed help for the upcoming season.
Sutter has been on the hot seat with many fans, including myself, since the end of the season due to the Flames disappointing finish in last years regular season. With the addition o...
Carey Price has been used as a scapegoat for this Montreal Canadiens team. Ever since the ever contreversial trade of Jaroslav Halak to St Louis Price has been tabed as the number one netminder by Pierre Gauthier. This tactic though has obviously backfired as Price has yet to sign a contract. Word out there is that Price wants 3 years at 3 million plus and Montreal wants 2...
The Washington Capitals were far and away the best regular season team last year. The Caps scored 36 more goals than any other team in the league, with a home record of 30-5-6, winning the Eastern conference by over 15 points. In a conference that was considered “weak”, a team with those credentials should have, and was considered a favourite, to go very deep into the ...
Mattbritton1976 writes...
Lay off the Hate towards The Flames. You don't know Jack
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It is not even what would qualify as the pre season , yet, Everyone from the casual blogger, to the Ultimate Fake who I will not even mention who has a 1 for 5 record in rumors, seem to love harping on the Flames for how things have gone post season.
I though am not among the haters. I love what the Flames have done in the post season.
1) The Phaneuf Trade. We got mo...
lately i have noticed a stupid an really unfounded string of Souray haters guys like richard cloutier who are really low balling the talented defense man. After a month or so i believe these "haters" will change their tune watching the guy with hardest shot in the game on the oil PP scoring goals and being a assist machine (if ANYONE on the oilers can tip). His first pass...
WarHero writes...
Montreal Canadiens - Player Points Predictions - Centers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Here we are ... about 40 days away from the drop of the puck.
Is anyone as antsy as I am for the season to start?
It's not that I don't like summer, but watching baseball just doesn't do it for me. But at least there's some Canadian Football to tide me over. Speaking of which, Ottawa is supposed to get a team for next season. But I digress ...
Since the Habs ros...
Did you ever wonder what it would be like if NHL players and personalities were cast in major movie roles? Well, I’m going to answer that question today by listing some of the greatest movie quotes of all-time and inserting which NHL personality would have been best-suited to be cast in that role, a few perhaps with some minor modifications. Sources say some famous quo...
Hey all, new here and just figuring out how all of this works. I have been reading for a long time, and just now decided to sign up. Avid Ducks, Flames, and somewhat Caps fan, so I will be randomly blogging on one of the three at any given time. Considering there is no Ducks blogger here, I figured I may as well fill the hole a bit. First blog to come eventually, ahaha.
...
Hello everyone,
First blog, very excited. But I am more excited because the upcoming season is just a few more weeks away, and I am anxious to see how the habs will fare this season. After a wonderful run in the playoffs last season, it's back to the start for Montreal and they must start all over again with 30 teams in the running. In the offseason, Pierre Gauthier tra...
Stanley Cup: NJD
Reason: All hinges on Brodeur, but with a more competent backup (The Moose), he will get more rest in the regular season and with the wicked supporting cast NJ has, I can definitely see them taking it all if Brodeur steps up his post-season play.
Presidents: Washington Capitals
Reason: Is a reason needed?
Maurice Richard: Alexander Ovechkin
Reason...
I really don't understand where all the hate for Price comes from. It's always the same story in Montreal, a youngster comes up, he's the savior (i.e. Jesus Price) and after 2 years he's nothing, a piece of garbage, a bust (Latendresse, Pacioretty, D'agostini, Price, McDonagh). What's going to happen if ever Subban has a bad season?!
Young players (especially goalies a...
There has been a lot of criticism of Craig Rivet’s play over this past season, and let’s be honest: most of it had merit. There has also been some recent unrest in his captaincy and leadership of the team. Should Rivet be the Captain? How has he done so far? And who could take his place? Let’s take a look.
Craig Rivet came to the Sabres in the summer of 2008 after...
As per HabsInsideOut:
The Canadiens have signed goaltender Carey Price to a two-year contract.
No word yet on the terms of the contract, which will take him to the end of the 2011-12 season.
From the team's press release:
MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier announced today the signing of goaltender Carey Price to a two-year contract...
WarHero writes...
Montreal Canadiens - Player Points Predictions - Wingers
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Well folks, its 34 days till the season starts, but training camp is right around the corner!
Finally! Let’s get back to some hockey!
Living in Ottawa gives me a unique opportunity to watch 3 brands of hockey. Besides the Sens, I can also take in either an Ottawa 67’s (OHL) or Gautineau Olympiques (QMJHL) game. This year I will be doing both so I can catch Jarred...
People who know me or read my blog, understand that I do not care much for Darryl Sutter and the way he has chosen to run this franchise.
Well, Sutter’s comments on Thursday at the Flames Charity Golf tournament struck a chord with me, as they tend to do.
Before I rant though, let’s start with a good quote from the farmer himself:
[i]"This is going to be th...
With rookie camp opening on Monday it is the right time to take a look at the battles that will be taking place this September. Much of the roster is set and there will probably be few surprises. However there is a chance for upsets and underdogs.
There is a top-6 forward spot up for grabs. There are also 2 defensive spots and 2 bottom-6 forward roles open for competiti...
Darryl Sutter's Cookie-cutter Comments:
It's another year and already its become clear that Flames fans need to brace for more of the same from Darryl Sutter.
After having quite possibly one of the worst seasons a GM can possibly put together without actually [i]trying[/i] to screw up, Sutter is back with the same-old shenanigans.
Late last week an article in the ...
For five years now, around this time I eagerly anticipate the upcoming NHL hockey season, with what retrospectively seems like foolish optimism. This optimism on an annual basis remarkably convinces me that my pride and joy (The Toronto Maple Leafs) will have a real shot of making the playoffs. Call it excellent team marketing skills or a love blinded fan base, eith...
The new Collective Bargaining Agreement that was reached during the canceled 2004-05 NHL season brought with it some new rules and concepts which have changed the way team personnel are managed, and the league was dubbed the “New NHL”. The majority of these rules were financial based and have largely impacted the general managers in the league, limiting the high spendi...
When the second round of the 2010 draft was coming to a close, I kept hearing the talking heads all comment on how Krill Kabanov, a world class talent had slipped so far out of round one, and now what appeared to be round 2. At that moment, I began thinking, here is a player who is destined to be an Islander.
My take on Krill v2.0 and the "incident"
http://hockeyinde...
With the season just around the corner, I thought I would run down the roster on the Flames one player at a time and prognosticate, if I may, about what lies ahead for each individual player. I would like to start this 22 part series by looking at the one, the only, Jarome Iginla.
The Captain. The team’s life blood. The franchise.
These are some of the words used ...
Last year, the Calgary Flames traded for Jay Bouwmeester’s negotiating rights two days before the free agency period had opened and subsequently signed him to a 5-year deal with a cap hit of $6.68 million dollars per season.
Jay Bouwmeester WAS the biggest off-season acquisition of last summer. A big ticket, free-wheeling defenceman who could quarterback a power play...
When talking about players who were drafted in the 7th Round of an NHL draft, not many players really stick out at you. Sure, there are the Henrik Zetterberg’s(7th Round in 1999) or Pavel Datsyuk’s(6th Round in 1998) of the world, but for the most part the best a late-rounder will be is a third line grinder or bottom tier defenceman.
Enter David Moss, drafted #220...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Jim Rutherford (GM) Paul Maurice (Head Coach)
[b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 35W 37L 10OTL 80PTS
[b]Place:[/b] 3rd Southeast, 11th Eest, 24th NHL
[b]Top Scorer:[/b] Eric Staal – 70GP 29G 31A 70P
[b]Captains:[/b] Eric Staal (C)
[b]OFF-SEASON MOVES
OUT:[/b]
Ray Whitney (Signed with Phoenix)
Rod Brind’Amour (Retired)
Tim Conboy (Signed wit...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Darryl Sutter (GM) Brent Sutter (Head Coach)
[b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 40W 32L 10OTL 90PTS
[b]Place:[/b] 3rd Northwest, 10th West, 16th NHL
[b]Top Scorer:[/b] Jarome Iginla – 82GP 32G 37A 69P
[b]Captains[/b]: Jarome Iginla (C), Craig Conroy (A), Jay Bouwmeester (A)
[b]OFF-SEASON MOVES
OUT:[/b]
Chris Higgins (Signed with Florida)
Eric ...
Let’s do some role-play.
Robyn Regehr plays Maverick , Jordan Leopold is Goose, and Dion Phaneuf is the Iceman. Maverick and Goose were a great pair, as documented, but once Goose was blown up (traded) Maverick has never been able to find that perfect wingman.
“You can be my wingman anytime.” Iceman finally accepts Maverick, and vice-versa, at the end of Top ...
Raitis Ivanans and Tim Jackman.
When Sutter made these signings I couldn’t help but scratch my head.
Jackman is 6’4” and 210lbs.
Ivanans is 6’4” and 240-256 lbs, depending on which website you look at.
Jackman had 98 PIM, 4 goals, and 5 assists last year in 54 games, while Ivanans had 136 PIM, 0 goals, and 0 assists in 61 games last season.
Bot...
Brought back from the depths of darkness, Alex Tanguay is back in a city he loves and playing with a player, Jarome Iginla, which he dearly missed.
Tanguay spent the last year wallowing away in Tampa Bay, getting ever so slowly pushed out of the team picture. By the time the season ended, it was clear that Tanguay did not want to be in Tampa, and Tampa did not want any ...
Answer: Trevor Kidd, Niklas Sunblad, Cory Stillman, Jesper Mattsson, Chris Dingman, Denis Gauthier, Derek Morris, Daniel Tkaczuk, Rico Fata, Oleg Saprykin, Brent Krahn, Chuck Kobasew, Eric Nystrom, Dion Phaneuf, Kris Chucko, Matt Pelech, Leland Irving, Mikael Backlund, Greg Nemisz, and Tim Erixon.
Question: Name the Calgary Flames first round picks for the last 20 year...
Coming over in “The Trade” from the Toronto in late January of last season, Niklas Hagman was considered to be the most highly skilled player that took the westbound trip to Calgary.
A six foot tall, quick, Finnish forward with loads of unused potential was bound to help the Calgary offence going forward.
The following 27 games didn’t exactly yield the projec...
The goaltending position in Calgary has never been a worry for the past half decade, and considering Flames fans tend to worry about pretty much everything else, it’s nice to have one less thing. This season, Calgary looks to have its strongest tandem to date in between the pipes with Miikka Kiprusoff and newcomer Henrik Karlsson manning the 4X6.
Kipper for his part,...
jt-nuck writes...
Competitive Camp, a tell-tale sign of a real contender
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
While every team in the NHL begins the pre-season camp and schedule with the goal of putting the best team on the ice not every team is faced with the same realities. Many perenial contenders and former champs of the upper echelons of the NHL have suffered high turn-over in various aspects of their rosters.
Chicago, the reigning cup champ was forced to sacrifice many k...
I just asked a source close to the team who he felt had the best chance to start the season with Henrik and Daniel on the Canucks top line and he believes it will be Mikael Samuelson. I'm not sure what this means for the available second line spot but he also mentioned that in his opinion "...can't see Hordi not making it."
I would love to see Cody Hodgson be given the...
With the news that Olli Jokinen has suffered a minor injury in last night’s pre-season tilt with the Phoenix Coyotes, I thought it was time to look deeper into the man they call the Joker.
If you read my column, and I believe there is maybe one person out there who does (Hi Dad!), you know I have never, how can I best put it, enjoyed having Olli Jokinen troll the ice ...
It has been a pretty good pre-season thus far. Unbeaten and seeing some surprising faces score is certainly encouraging but enthusiasm for the upcoming season can often put the blinders on reality. For instance it is nice to see Kotalik trying, I did say we should give him a chance a long time ago, however he will not out score Iginla in the regular season. In pre-season h...
“You may say that I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.”- John Lennon
What if...
What if the Flames won the Stanley Cup this year?
What if the Flames don’t make the playoffs this year?
What if Darryl Sutter doesn’t make it through the season?
What if Iginla scores 50 again?
What if Olli scores 40?
What if Olli scores 10?
What if...
With the regular season on our doorstep my goal of profiling every single player on the Flames roster came up a little short. But with that being said I will run down, quickly, those players I missed and share my thoughts on the signing of Brendan Morrison.
The Rest of the Healthy Forward Core:
Bourque, Glencross, Conroy, and Meyer
Bourque is coming off a career...
The predictions I'm seeing for this year just don't make any sense to me, so I'm going to give this a shot on my own... We'll see how it shakes out at the end of the year.
1. Vancouver Canucks
It pains me to say this, but when I look at the rosters in the West, Vancouver just seems to be the strongest bottom to top this year. The weakness with this team is defense, b...
Will the Calgary Flames make the playoffs?
That seems to be the question I hear more than any other when I watch TSN, Sportsnet, TheScore, or drop in on conversations at the local watering hole.
So, will they?
Well it’s a little more complicated than that. It involves beating out seven other teams in a very, very competitive Western Conference.
I could go...
The season is upon us. In 12 hours time, the puck will be dropped to kick off the 2010-11 season for the flames.
This pre-season has been both a good and a bad one for the flames even though they end it with a perfect 7-0 record.
Positives
- TJ Brodie
He was considered to be one of the better defense prospects for the team, but was also considered to be a year or t...
Game 1 of the 2010-11 season! Game 1 of this season's "Battle of Alberta," it's about time! Hell yeah! Finally, we get to see how these kids are going to perform on the big stage.
I'm particularly interested in seeing how the Oiler coaching staff manages ice time between the top 3 lines that all have to potential to put up some decent numbers. I'm also interested in wa...
What a start to the 2010-11 National Hockey League season for the Calgary Flames.
They looked fast, they looked hungry, and their power play was really clicking. Oh, no wait, that was the Edmonton Oilers. Damn.
I don’t really know where to begin.
How do you describe such a pathetic effort? How do you wait five and a half months to redeem yourself for a disappo...
Well folks ...
I decided to take a chance and made a couple Hockey related contacts today. I am very satisfied to say that I should have some extremely exciting news to report in the next couple weeks.
For now, I can say nothing more but stay tuned!
Did I mention I am extremely excited?
I will be having a live blog for tonight's sabres and blackhawks game.
Feel free to stop by at any time.
Here is the link:
[url]http://www.coveritlive.com/index.php?option=com_altcaster&task=playaltcast&altcast_code=5bcd86f3f8[/url]
It was a good news bad news type of week for the Calgary Flames.
Good news: They recorded their first win
Bad news: They recorded their first loss
Good: They scored a power play goal
Bad: The goal was scored into an empty net and was one of twelve chances in two games
Good: Calgary beat a very good team in the LA Kings
Bad: Calgary was clobbered by the O...
WarHero writes...
Exciting times ahead, stay tuned for more news! - *UPDATED*
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Well folks....
In regards to that Hockey news, I took a chance and because of it, I have been asked to write both live game blogs and non-live blogs for the OTTAWA 67'S!! No, it's not an NHL club but it certainly is a step in the right direction and to be honest, I [b]LOVE[/b] OHL hockey!
My first game blog will be on Friday, October 22nd against the Brampton Battali...
Heading into tonight’s game with the perennial bottom dwelling Florida Panthers, the Calgary Flames are faced with a few interesting decisions.
1. Which veteran defenceman will suit up in place of Adam Pardy: Sarich or Staios?
Well I have to believe Cory Sarich gets the nod here but I have been wrong before. I personally don’t like either option and would rather...
It’s not very often that a building containing 18,000 people will almost go silent for a few minutes, but the injury to Jason Pominville made that happen at HSBC Arena on Monday.
Thankfully, Pominville is in much better condition than what many expected after watching him lay in a crumpled heap on the ice after Nicklas Hjalmarsson’s hit from behind. Pominville was a...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers discussing the Isles recent loss to the Washington Capitals and Nino Niederreiter's first NHL goal!
http://thehockeywriters.com/el-nino-strikes-in-washington/
Leave comments in the comments section under the blog if you think Nino will end up remaining an Islander for the rest of the year!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on...
“SHUT UP! Enough already, Ballstein! Who cares about Derek Zoolander anyway? The man has only one look, for Christ's sake! Blue Steel? Ferrari? Le Tigra? They're the same face! Doesn't anybody notice this?” – Mugatu
This is how I feel.
The Calgary Flames are Derek Zoolander. Derek Zoolander is the Calgary Flames. Regardless of the grammatical nightmare that ...
Maybe Davis Payne should bring Mariano Rivera in to lecture the Blues on how to finish goals and games.
After scoring two in the first four minutes, the Blues couldn't find the net the rest of the game and let 2 points slip away in a 3-2 shootout loss to Dallas.
But they had plenty of chances.
Patrik Berglund hit the crossbar on a beautiful move during a power-p...
If you go and review film and or notice while watching the games, you'll see that Jeff Carter is cleary more effective offensively when working from the left side versus the right. If you look at what Jeff likes to do on the attack, it's either rush the puck up ice and unleash the wrister or take the puck off the wall or from behind the net, loop around to the circle and...
Tonight's loss to the Hawks must really sting for the Blues.
They played tight defense and shut down the champs for about 54 minutes and Jaroslav Halak was showing exactly why the Blues gave up a former first-round pick for him.
But naturally the Blackhawks stormed back and won it in overtime. The second straight game the Blues have lost in OT after leading 2-0.
...
"You don't have to worry about that. He's not going down there to get confidence. But he's an awesome kid. He's a farm kid, and you know clearly what direction he's going.”
-- Darryl Sutter’s comments regarding TJ Brodie and his demotion to the AHL.
The question I pose is this: What is it that makes farm kids such good hockey players? Are they seemingly toughe...
Another flames win, another two goals for Bourque, another shutout for Kipper another point for Morrisson. The flames are shaking off their inability to score stigma by the buckets. Goals from three different lines and the Glencross line also had some tremendous opportunities.
The Good
Kipper
What a game by Kiprusoff. The guy seems to have x-ray vision in being abl...
Who the hell are these guys and what did they do with the Calgary Flames? You know who I’m talking about right? The team that finished 2nd last in goal scoring last season and was averaging less than two goals a game heading into Friday night -- yeah that would be them.
Well, something happened to change the tides and now the Flames are looking like world beaters ever...
Yo, dudes, check it out. So I was over at my friend Chad's place last night. We don't call him "Chad" we call him "Nads" because that's what he's like. A big set of nads. Anyway, I was over at Nads place and we were drinking sum Axe, which we always do on Wednesday because it makes you feel real dizzy n' stuff. And after about the third can, Chad said to me something like,...
Well, at least the problem isn’t scoring goals anymore.
The Calgary Flames, after averaging less than two goals for their first half dozen games, have become an offensive powerhouse reminiscent of the 84’ Oilers – averaging nearly four and a half goals per game.
It’s simply ironic that once the Flames start scoring, the defence decides to take a break. They...
Stop by at The Checking Line for my Isles/Habs live-blog tonight from the press box at Nassau Coliseum around 7 PM. The Isles look to take a win after being defeated in Montreal, as the two teams will conclude their home-and-home series tonight on Long Island!
Here's the link: http://thecheckingline.com/calendar/habs-isles-liveblog
Hope to see you all there!
-Rob ...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers covering Matt Martin's first NHL goal with my take on why the Isles have hit a 3-game losing streak:
http://bit.ly/9gzWEg
Feel free to leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Hello folks!
Please visit the following link to view the article and Happy Halloween!!! May it be safe for everyone!
http://ottawa67shub.com/2010/10/31/after-15-games-player-points-projections-where-they-are-where-they-can-go/
Thank you for reading!!
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line as I report about Rob Schremp's season debut tonight as they visit the Carolina Hurricanes!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/rob-schremp-returns-isles-line
Register and leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
“In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate.”
Is that Jarome Iginla? Well, it’s entirely possible.
A man who is both chastised for what he doesn’t do, but loved for what he does. It’s a fascinating situation to be in and now that November is upon us it is historically Jarome’s, and the ...
If one looks at the individual stats on the Calgary Flames for the past six NHL seasons ('03-'10), they will find that Jarome Iginla has been the team's uncontested scoring leader during each one. Only twice in those past six seasons has the #2 scorer tallied more than 66 points. Once, in the 06-07 campaign when Alex Tanguay had 81 (followed by Huselius and Langkow with ...
There it is again. The Sabres had one of their betterperformances of the season, but in the end, it’s just another loss. Another one goal loss, too.
Buffalo fell to 0-6-1 at home this year, losing 3-2 to Montreal at HSBC Arena on Friday night. Mike Grier scored his first goal of the season and Jordan Leopold added his fourth. Buffalo had two separate one goal leads, b...
Do you remember the scene from National Lampoon’s European Vacation when the Griswold’s enter a traffic circle and then gets stuck in it and goes around and around and around and around, unable to break through and drive in another direction?
Well, the Calgary Flames are the Griswold’s and are stuck in said traffic circle.
With every gut-wrenching 2-1 loss, wi...
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers discussing Jack Capuano's recent promotion as head coach of the New York Islanders!
http://bit.ly/bZPZNH
Leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
In the wake of a wave of unsubstantiated Jarome Iginla speculation, Darryl Sutter decided to distract Flames fans by making another trade to complain about. Ian White and his facial hair as well as Brett Sutter are gone, replaced by Anton Babchuk and Tom Kostopoulos. My immediate knee-jerk biased reaction: it looks to me like an about equal trade in value, but a trade that...
I’m baaaaaaaack!!!!
After spending a week talking about whether Man U could really win the premiership this year or whether the England victory over Australia will really shake the foundation of the rugby world, I am back in North America to talk about the sport we all know and love: ice hockey (or at least that’s what everyone kept calling it over in jolly old Engl...
From satisfaction to utter shock.
What just happened? Did that just happen? Did I just witness that?
Surely, some of the many responses from shocked Flames fans after they blew a late two goal lead in Detroit to lose 5-4 to the Red Wings.
But really, they didn’t do the things necessary to win the game. They took too many bad penalties (see Stajan tackling Filp...
The Calgary Flames lost 2-1 to the New York Rangers tonight.
The Flames had their chances to tie the game, but were stymied by the post, Martin Biron’s pads/glove, or a combination of both.
This is an all too familiar tale.
So what else can I say that hasn’t be said already. Nothing really, and so instead I will look at some individual efforts that have stu...
The Flames beat the best the league had to offer, or at least the best in terms of points coming into today, downing the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in a shootout.
The win didn’t come without its share of controversy as the Flyers had an apparent winning goal disallowed in overtime due to Chris Pronger doing his best impersoation of Sean Avery. With the Flyers on a power...
Here are some numbers from the five game road-trip the Flames just came back from:
A record of 1-2-2.
Outscored 14-9.
Average of 2.8 goals against per game.
Average of 1.8 goals for per game.
Outshot 161-146.
1 for 15 on the PP or 6.67% completion, including going 0 for 12 in the final four games.
16 for 21 on the PK or 76.19% efficiency
1 -1...
With the win tonight the Flames finished the month of November with a 4-7-2 record – a far cry from last year’s 10-2-2 domination over the month of Moustaches.
For his part, Jarome Iginla continued his November tirade scoring eight goals and adding five assists in 13 games. Not only did he score more, but Iginla began asserting himself more in the play. He was the ...
Just a few things I wanted to touch upon following the Flames 3-2 shootout win over the Minnesota Wild.
Thing #1: Darryl Sutter and his claim that goals against are the Flames big problem
Yes, the Flames rank 24th in the league in goals against per game. But, if you dig a little deeper you will see that these numbers are quickly skewed due to a couple blow out games...
Two years ago Craig Rivet arrived in Buffalo and was given as daunting of a task as there could be for a professional hockey player; Captaining a timid, lost Sabres club that was still reeling from the loss of Daniel Briere and Chris Drury.
It didn’t help Rivet any that he spent the last couple of seasons beforehand on the back lines of the San Jose Sharks, and was ye...
On a day in which Sylvester Stallone got elected into the boxing hall of fame (huh?) and Graham James gets out on bail(you have to be kidding me right?), the Calgary Flames climbed out of last place – at least for the time being.
With the Oilers shootout loss, the Flames sit one point ahead of the junior high school misfits, but unfortunately the Flames have played o...
California dreamin’ or California nightmare?
I’d say the latter was a more apt description of the result of the two game road trip. Two games, one point – simply put, it’s just not good enough.
Despite late charges in both games, the Flames fell short in each game – stretching it to the shootout in Anaheim while falling in regulation in LA.
They fall be...
Hockeygirl101 writes...
Ryane Clowe Leads The Sharks To An OT Victory Over The Hawks
Posted Sunday | Comments 26
Ryane Clowe led the Sharks to victory in a rare low scoring affair Saturday night against the Blackhawks in San Jose. The Sharks showed some character in this one, battling through the last two periods after giving up a soft goal to the Hawks late in the first.
The first period contained the only two regulation goals, the first coming at 9:16 by Ryane Clowe for the Shar...
The Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames will face off on Thursday night at the Dome.
You would think a game between the 22nd and 26th ranked team in the league wouldn’t exactly be a must see affair, but this upcoming tilt between two cellar dwellers has a little more oomph than your run of the mill basement clash.
Did I mention Dion Phaneuf will be making his ...
In light of the Flames facing off against Toronto tonight, the team they partnered off with to make last year's blockbuster deal, I thought it would be interesting to look at some of the Flames options moving forward.
The Flames have issues. That’s clearly apparent. But fixing those issues -- therein lies the true work of art.
How do you get yourself out from under...
Well another Christmas Season is upon, it means Santa is loading up is sleigh and bringing Gold Silver & Bronze to Buffalo New York for the 2011 World Junior Championships, Team USA is going to defend the Gold Medal on home ice, after a heart breaking loss in the gold medal game last year the Canadian boys will be lookng for redemption, they will h...
The New Jersey Devils, NHL powerhouse and dynasty, are going to move into the doghouse and become a dud-nasty if they keep going the way they are going. The Devils have the greatest golatender to possibly stand in an NHL crease in Martin Brodeur, they have veterns all through the line up and have one of the most powerful General Managers in hockey, ...
“Do you struggle to save the puck? Are you having trouble stopping that little black piece of rubber from going in the net? Do you find yourself riding the pine more than you think you should? If so, we believe we have the answer for you. Come on over the Calgary where the Flames will show you what true hospitality is all about. Their under-achieving band of overpaid hoc...
The blizzard worked in the Islanders favor as they continue to snowball along after a big win against the Montreal Canadiens tonight at Nassau Coliseum...check out my post at The Hockey Writers for more!
http://bit.ly/gNM5ny
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
The Flames are on a roll – sort of.
Winners of their last two games, and four of their last five under the Dome, the Flames climbed to within six points of 8th spot in the western conference. Let’s just ignore the fact that the Flames have played more games than pretty well everyone else in the conference save the Ducks.
Olli Jokinen has six goals in his last ni...
Goosebumps can be caused by many things. Being scared, excited, nervous, cold, anxious, etc.
So is it wrong that I had them running down my arms when I heard the news that Darryl Sutter was no longer the General Manager of the Calgary Flames today?
To say I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time would be an understatement. It all happened so fast. One minute...
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...
LeightonH55 writes...
2011 World Junior Canada vs. Russia Gold Medal Game...
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is my first blog here on HockeyBuzz and I was hoping it was going to be about the Canada winning the gold medal at the 2011 IIHF World Juniors in Buffalo, but in stand I'm going to write about how they lost the gold medal.
First - Now I loved the play of Brayden Schenn and Ryan Ellis, but they have so many talented players on that team, like Sean Couturier, Brett Con...
41 games down, 41 games to go – and they are going to be long 41 games at that.
Sitting 14th in the Western Conference, six points back of 8th place, hopes for a miracle run are fading in a hurry. It doesn’t help the situation when a majority of teams ahead of the Flames have played fewer games than them, making it doubly hard to gain any sort of ground.
Did I...
[url]http://ryanwatcheshockey.tumblr.com[/url]
Go Bulldogs!
After an off-season that included two signifigant trades, the 2011-12 Calgary Flames take to the ice in a season full of optimism. Head over to The Sports Roundup to get a glimpse into the future!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/01/calgary-flames-october-two-thousand-and.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers as the Kevin Poulin is giving Nathan Lawson a run for his money to remain with the team once Rick DiPietro returns to the line-up
http://bit.ly/gLhtTE
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
A very small percentage of making the playoffs, yet the team must still charge forward. Head on over to the Sports Roundup for the latest musings as the Flames look forward to playing the Sens and the Leafs this weekend.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/01/dwindling-playoff-hopes-for-flames.html
Also check out why a certain blogger at TSR dislikes the Toronto Ma...
Despite an off season overhaul and the appointment of Dion Phaneuf as the 18th captain in club history, the Maple Leafs have yet to turn around a sinking ship and prove that they can in fact become playoff contenders.
An early season winning streak that saw the Leafs record a 4-0 record out of the gate created false hope for Leaf fans and team management that the team w...
Despite being down four goals in the middle of the second period the Flames clawed back to gain a very valuable point. Head on over to The Sports Roundup to find out what this means for the surging Flames!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/01/flames-show-resiliency-in-comeback.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
The Flames got smoked 6-0 by the Minnesota Wild? Are you joking me? Lot of broken ankles this morning jumping off the Flames resurgence bandwagon. Come on over to The Sports Roundup to get a quick look at the what the Flames are facing now. Plus the Flames could have had Fleischmann for Regehr, would you have done it? Post your comments here:
http://www.thesportsround...
Head over to www.thecheckingline.com tonight for my live blog as the Islanders will host the Washington Capitals in Kyle Okposo's season debut!
Don't miss it!!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Name: Carl Dunlop
Born: Calgary Alberta
Thats all you need to know…….
I`ve wanted to do this for some time. Letting my thought be known about what I know best. Two words…….Calgary Flames. Im not saying that everything I say about the Calgary flames is right, but it basically is. Im not going to lie, I love this team. I love sports, its what I know bes...
The Flames are rolling into the All Star break with four straight wins and now sit only two points out of a playoff spot. Head on over to the Sports Roundup to read more about the Flames impressive string of play.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/01/flames-roll-into-break.html
Newman
@TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
www.thecheckingline.com
The Flames finally won a game in Atlanta. First time EVER. They keep pace in the playoff chase. Come on over to TSR and read up on the latest from your home town heroes.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/02/calgary-flames-finally-win-in-atl.html
Newman
www.thecheckingline.com
www.thesportsroundup.com
twitter.com/TSRNewman
The New York Rangers have entered into unfamiliar territory after dropping their 4th game in a row. During a time that was supposed to be one where the Rangers thrived after getting 4 regulars back into the lineup, they have instead played the inconsistent hockey that has plagued them the past few seasons. It's too quick to jump to conclusions and say that this team is the...
First off, while I love broadcasting legend Bob Cole, Mike Emrick of NBC and Devils radio is the best in the business at the moment. I love the creativity and dark tones Emrick brings to the games, while his sidekicks, Eddy Olczyk and Pierre Mcguire are always amusing and insightful. I say this as I enjoy taking in the NBC game of the week: Pens V. Caps! Sure to be a b...
The Flames can't be stopped. They roll past the Sens 5-2 to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race. Come over to the Sports Roundup to read the latest on the home town heroes.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/02/different-strokes-flames-and-sens.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
www.thecheckingline.com
Right off the hop I would like to tip my cap to Peter Tessier... He does a great job of contributing to Nuck Nation. Unfortunately I am a huge leech and it is about time I see if there this is the right soil to seed some of my own passion for my life long team of which now I am 38.
A bit on where my perspective comes from. I played hockey competitively until my second ...
With the move of Skill, Jessiman, and Pacan to Florida for Frolik and Salak the hawks look to be in a bit better shape. With the addition of Frolik Sharp can go back to his natural position at the wing and Frolik will take over as our second line center. One issue that needs to be addressed is the lack of production from Marian Hossa.
He looks tentative during game ...
Yesterday afternoons game between the flyers and kings was a well played game and wound up being a 1-0 defeat for the Flyers. I am not concerned with the outcome of the game but a particular call within the game. Entering the last 7 minutes of the game Pronger was hit into the boards from behind questionably. Pronger was square to the boards and hit hard from behind sendin...
Hey, I'm just another armchair GM and fan, but if I'm Calgary's Jay Feaster, I'm really looking to bulk up for a serious playoff push. With the way Calgary have turned their season around since the departure of Darryl Sutter, I suspect Calgary will squeak into the playoffs.
And, I’d hate to be the guy to say “anything can happen in the playoffs”, but… ANYTHING C...
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...
It’s plain and simple. The Carolina Hurricanes have to make the play-offs this year. And, the good news is …they are knocking on the door.
So, with the trade deadline fast approaching, it is not surprising to hear that Jim Rutherford, the Canes GM, is busy trying to make some moves. Reports suggest the Canes were among three teams that had a real shot at Ottawa’s...
[b]Heritage Classic[/b]
Let's get something straight right off the bat.
There are two reasons for the Heritage Classic:
1) It makes the NHL a helluva lotta cash. That much we know for sure.
but, more importantly to you and me;
2) The fans LOVE it. And that might be an understatement.
Reading the Globe and Mail this morning, I was quite disappointed bu...
Head over to www.thecheckingline.com tonight for a live blog from the Nassau Coliseum press box as the New York Islanders host the Washington Capitals tonight at 7 PM!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Montreal Canadians are moving!
They are in the process of trading Scott Gomez, PK Subban and Louis Leblanc to Tampa Bay, in return they will get Vinny Lecavalier. Rumor says that they will bring down Beliveau #4 jersey from the Bell Center ceiling and give it to Vinny Lecavalier.
mslepp writes...
Calgary Flames: Succesfully Unsuccessful Trade Deadline
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Honestly, there's really not a whole lot to address. Jay Feaster went out and did what he said he wanted to do.
Add depth.
To address my headline: Feaster did what he said he would do and it improves the team just a little bit. More importantly, it keep the target on Hagman's back. If he slips, Modin will be in. And, Modin is more than capable of taking up a spot...
The Flames hit a speed bump Wednesday night as they fell to the Chicago Blackhawks. Come on over to the Sports Roundup to read more:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/calgary-flames-hit-speed-bump-in-chi.html#more
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
www.thecheckingline.com
Come on over to the Sports Roundup to listen in on TSR's inaugural podcast. We talk about Morrison, Iginla's hall of fame chances and the flames post-season chances. Come check it out!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/inaugural-podcast-march-4-2011.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
The Flames are rolling! Thanks to Jarome Iginla and two special teams units that are firing on all cylinders. Come over to the Sports Roundup to read more and stay tuned for a podcast later in the day!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/flames-win-iginla-and-special-teams.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
www.thecheckingline.com
It took until March for everything to feel quasi-stable in my hockey universe, but I can’t complain. As of today, the Blackhawks sit in fourth place in the embattled Western Conference, and despite the logjam, one would be hard-pressed to argue against their chances of making it to the dance. They are playing great hockey right now and showing glimpses of that four-li...
Come on over to the Sports Roundup to listen to our podcast for March 7, 2011!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/podcast-march-7-2011.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
The Flames keep winning. Is it any surprise that Kipper is playing out of his mind? Come on over to The Sports Roundup to read more!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/flames-beat-stars-on-back-of-kiprusoff.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
thesportsroundup.com
thecheckingline.com
After reading Richard Cloutier's blog on the state of the NHL after the Chara-Patches incident, I figured I too needed to rant a little bit. In this rant, I will touch on favouritism, how Bettman is an idiot, and how everyone else is saying the exact same thing as me.
Honestly though, you would be hard-pressed to find a legitimate hockey fan who thinks this is the right...
Today we weigh the Flames playoff chances after a tough loss last night to the Coyotes. Come on over to TSR and have a listen!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/podcast-march-11-2011.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Hi fellow hockey nuts!
my name is will, i am a life long of the great game of hockey as im sure all of you are. i have loved the toronto maple leafs, pittsburgh penguins and the winnipeg jets(not coyotes) for as long as i can remember. i am very opinionated when it comes to the game and have been booted from addicted hockey fans united for being too opinionated. i love am...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line discussing the possibilities on whether or not Jack Capuano will return as head coach for the New York Islanders next season
http://bit.ly/eo6AN9
Also keep a look out at The Checking Line (www.thecheckingline.com) for a contest that will be starting tomorrow if you follow our twitter and facebook pages! Prizes will be re...
The Sabres have had a busy month. With the change in ownership, the addition of Brad Boyes and the current race back into the playoff picture there has been a lot of optimism. I hope, though, that fans are taking just a moment to stop and look back at one of the other big moves during deadline week.
Captain Craig Rivet was claimed off waivers by the Columbus Blue Jacket...
Ask any Rangers fan about the core of the team, present and future, and the answer will always begin the same way. “Callahan and Dubinsky.” Their names, always juxtaposed, are synonymous with change, hope and any other unachievable ideal promised by the POTUS. But political humor aside, these two players represent the direction this franchise has wanted to take ever si...
It was just that kind of night for the Buffalo Sabres. The Sabres dominated most of this game blasting shots from everywhere but Cam Ward stood his ground and led his Carolina Hurricanes to a 1-0 shutout victory.
Entering tonight’s game the Hurricanes were four points behind the Sabres and wasted no time as they were far and away the better team in the first eight min...
The Flames playoff chances were severely hurt this past week with three straight losses. Come on over and check out my first ever exclusive TCL(The Checking Line) blog.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/flames-playoff-hopes-fading#comments
Also be sure to head over to The Sports Roundup to here the latest podcast! We talk mostly Flames and throw ...
As the 4-1 victory against the Edmonton Oilers was the most disappointing win of the season, last night's fall to the Washington Capitals 5-4 in a shootout was definitely the most satisfying loss this year for the Philadelphia Flyers.
This entire week, with games against Washington, Pittsburgh, and Boston, is pivotal for playoff placement, and we will all see just how...
The Flames have put themselves in a massive hole with 6 losses in their last 7 games. Come over to the The Sports Roundup to see hear more.
www.thesportsroundup.com
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
I know it’s a little late for a post-game wrap-up, but better late than never, I guess. The Red Wings dropped a heartbreaker to the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday and I have a few theories…
The first is a little convoluted. I think maybe the Red Wings have a little stage fright. I haven’t checked the numbers (and maybe I should), but I think the Wings have a lo...
The Calgary Flames need to win their remaining six games and get some help from both the Ducks and Stars to even have a chance and playing hockey past April 9th. How did this all happen? Come on over to the Sports Roundup and read more. Be sure to follow me on Twitter as well at twitter.com/TSRNewman
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/03/flames-have-run-out-of-time.ht...
Let’s start by saying that I really enjoy watching the Red Wings and Blackhawks square up. It seems that there’s a different kind of energy between the two that is brought out only when these Original Six foes square off, even from Playoff hockey. I’m not saying it’s better, it’s [i]different[/i]. It’s one of a kind. Couple that with Nick Lidstrom’s signa...
The Sabres came into this game on a three game winning streak with aspirations of crushing the Leafs playoffs hopes. Toronto had nothing to lose and came out with an impressive performance in the first period.
Dion Phaneuf ripped a shot past Miller to get the Leafs on the board. Darryl Boyce scored late in the first period to give Toronto a 2-0 lead.
Buffalo had trou...
The Calgary Flames playoff hopes are cooked. After an impressive run, they will fall short for the second consecutive year. come over to the Sports Roundup to read more.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/flames-are-cooked.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
On a night where Washington had its 100th consecutive shutout, a sluggish start had the Sabres in a 2-0 hole less than five minutes into the game. Mike Knuble put home his 22nd goal of the season just 37 seconds into the game. Alexander Semin banked in a rebound for the Capitals second goal, which Alex Ovechkin recorded his 50th assists on.
Lindy Ruff had to settle thin...
Perhaps the biggest game of the season for both teams, Carolina and Buffalo were set to battle for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However, earning at least one point would have propelled the Sabres to 7th.
Jhonas Enroth’s 35 saves were a career-high as he led Buffalo to a 2-1 overtime victory at the RBC center in Carolina.
Chris Butler scored his...
What am I? Nuts? So the Flames aren't totally out of it yet. Yes there is little to no hope, but there is still a little which has a lot of fans grasping at straws to cheer this team to the bitter end. Come to the Sports Roundup to read on.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/hope-its-horrible-thing.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
In case you missed it I was on the CBC Homestretch this afternoon talking about the Flames playoff chances. Come to The Sports Roundup to have a listen.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/tsr-talks-to-cbcs-homestretch.html
Newman
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/TSRNewman
Sometime last september the hockey gods (or the old guys who plan the complex NHL schedule) thought it would be a good idea to have the Ducks and Kings play a home and home for the final weekend of the regular season. Usually this hasn't meant much. In the 17 years since the incarnation of the Duck the two teams have never made the playoffs together. We'll its finally happ...
April 22nd, 2006 was one to remember in the history of the Buffalo Sabres. After three losing seasons by the Sabres and a year-long lockout, HSBC Arena finally hosted an NHL playoff game.
18,690 fans sold out the building in downtown Buffalo to see the Sabres take on the Philadelphia Flyers in the first game of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.
They would get the...
The Flames season is over. So lets take a look back at what went wrong. Come on over to the Sports Roundup to read more!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/calgary-flames-post-mortem.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
There are three rookies who have scored over 30 goal this season, one of which will be awarded the Calder Trophy. The trophy is awarded annually to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the National Hockey League.
Calder Trophy Nominees:
# POS PLAYER GP G A P +/- PIM PPG SHG GWG
53 C JEFF SKINNER 82 31 32 63 3...
Jay Feaster is the acting GM of the Flames. When will the tag be removed or will it be removed? Come over to The Sprots Roundup to read more and feel free to comment on what you think might happen.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/jay-feaster-acting-to-be-or-not-to-be.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
This installment of the Vancouver Canucks is an absolute joke.
Not because they haven't been able to close out the Hawks.
Not because they have been completely outclassed losing Game 4, 7-2.
Not because they were completely outclassed in Game 5, losing 5-0.
And not because they can't handle the pressure.
No, none of the above is the reason this Canucks team is...
so which of these is worth of a suspension in the "new" NHL?
torres on seabrook
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nomG4dU-mTk
or Ruutu on erat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPd8LJvIpgI
The Torres hit is WAY worse. Elbow to the head. Ruutu doesnt even make contact with Erats head! He goes flying like the was sniped from the rafters. The refs didnt even call a p...
PickDaddy writes...
Seabrook Back in Lineup; Canucks Game Plan: HEAD SHOTS
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Rumour is that Seabrook will be in the Hawks' lineup tonight.
With two players coming off concussion I am sure we all know what the Canucks' game plan will be. They will probably keep doing what they are doing - taking cheap shots, trying to hurt people and specifically targeting the heads of players who have concussion issues.
Game 3 - Torres went directly after Sea...
I thought the Canucks played a good game. Chicago didn't look that great to me. They looked tired, but they got the job done. Good teams know how to win and win games they don't deserve to win, and that is exactly what they did tonight.
Cup winners win games they don't deserve to win, simply because they know how to win.
Thought both goalies excluding Luongo played a...
PickDaddy writes...
You've Got To Assume Luongo is Done in Vancouver After This
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
He won't like that he didn't get the start. That is a huge slap in the face. He is one of the best goalies in the league - how do you not play him?
In big games, you want your best players to rise to the opportunity and win the game for you.
Vancouver didn't give Luongo the chance and you can bet he is taking this personally.
He played net and won a gold medal for...
Congrats to the Canucks for their win. Well deserved. A few high level comments on the game:
1) Why did the Canucks change their style in the 3rd? They started to hang back and let Chicago gain the offensive zone. Chicago could not get into the Canucks zone the first 2 periods. Then in the 3rd Vancouver started to hang back and defend the lead and Chicago started to ca...
Let me start by saying...
I hope the Pens win tonight...get Crosby back at some point in round 2...and maybe even Malkin...and go on to win their 4th cup. Given everything they have gone through this year, that would be awesome.
OK...now that I got that out of the way...
Realistically speaking...I don't think all 4 of those things can happen because I think step 1...
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...
The first round was epic. Can the second round provide the same drama? Come over to TSR for our second round thoughts and predictions.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/04/round-two-2011-nhl-playoff-predictions.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Most people will look back at the 2010-11 Penguins season and think the season was a success.
Given the well documented injuries to Crosby, Malkin and other important players on this team (Staal missing the first ½ of the season) I would have to agree that finishing the regular season with one of the highest point totals in the team’s history was a true success. I do...
Conroy might be able to provide two Flames players with some perspective this offseason. Come read more at the Sports Roundup!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/05/craig-conroy-common-denominator-for.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
It's 15 minutes to game time, and we know more about how Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan than what's up with Flyers' defenseman Chris Pronger.
Apparently, Pronger is not playing tonight's pivotal Game 2 as the Flyers try to even things with the Bruins before the series shifts to Boston. Asked why by a reporter before the game, GM Paul Holmgren reportedly said "Th...
Three of the four remaining playoff series are currently sitting at 2 games to none.
[i][b]Detroit, Philadelphia and Washington all find themselves in the uncomfortable position of having the NONE part of the expression.[/b][/i]
[b]Judging by the way the playoffs have gone so far, none of these teams should be counted out simply because they are down by a couple of g...
[i]In Part Two of this blog series, we look at current Rangers and analyze which ones should make the 2011-2012 squad. [/i]
To start, we need to get a sense of how much cap room the Rangers have before any transactions are made. For simplicity's sake, we will determine cap room by subtracting the cap hit of the players on the roster from the regular season cap ceiling. ...
Round 1 of the playoffs was pretty exciting.
[i][b]Half of the eight series went to game 7[/b].[/i]
Two teams faced elimination more than once to win their series.
One team came back from 3-0 to force an OT in game 7.
One team came back from 3-1 to win.
By comparison...so far at least...[b][i]Round 2 is a snooze-fest.[/i][/b]
[b]One series is done[/b]...t...
Should I buy a broom? The overhyped Philadelphia Flyers who are allergic to solid goaltending are on the brink of getting swept out of the second round. Now, the analysts will tell you they saw it coming to where the diehard fan might say different.
Me?
Once the league figured out BOB, the Flyers were doomed. Boosh is solid back up but not one to carry the load....
So I've been wrong before, but never like this. The Caps were a strange team this year and the sweep at the hands of the Lightning have their coach on the hot seat. Come read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/05/washington-capitals.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
I didn't spend yesterday night watching my team get swept.
I've said this continuously since the Bruins scored their 5th goal. That Flyers team was not my team. My team played the Chicago Blackhawks in the Finals last year; My team was tearing into the the entire league in January; and then they stopped playing. Just fell off the face of the earth. Frankly, I've been l...
As the NHL playoffs continue without Buffalo, the Sabres and their fans are already looking forward to next season. Watching the San Jose vs. Detroit series, I realized that there is no way the Sabres could compete in a game, or series, of that intensity, which may be a key factor in why they lost to the Flyers in Game 7 and have won only one in the history of the franchis...
Glencross took a hometown discount to stay on a team and in a city that he is comfortable with. Also, Feaster is officially the team's GM. Read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/05/flames-sign-glencross-and-make-feaster.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
[b]The Refs[/b]
Eric Engels wrote about the differences in officiating between the regular season and the playoffs.
He made a good point about how the refs seemed to have put their whistles away during some of these playoff games.
I know that some people have an issue with this...and rightfully so to some degree...but from my point of view...if the competition lev...
Finally, the Stanley Cup Finals are set. While that means two weeks of excitement and anticipation for the fans of the Bruins and Canucks, the fans of the other 28 teams in the league may feel a bit left out. So, like good people, we want to get involved, take sides, and go to war, so to speak. But just what side should you take.
Below is a comprehensive guide to who yo...
Canucks vs. Bruins. Who you got? Come on over to the Sports Roundup to read my quick take on the final and where my cheering allegiance lies.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/05/stanley-cup-final-predictions.html
Newman
"Going to Winnipeg!" But how long can it last this time. The Rev takes a harsh look at the reality of keeping hockey afloat in a very small market. Also, the Flames lost a coveted prospect in Tim Erixon, but did they even have a choice in the matter? Come to the Sports Roundup to read more on these two topics.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/welcome-to-winnipe...
It is the start of summer the flames have traded away a blue chip prospect and a 5th rounder for two 2nd round picks and from what I know of Roman Horak a career AHLer. we all know the prospect is Tim Erixon who's father Jan played for the Rangers his entire career racking up 57 goals and 216 points. Apparently the entire family loves the city and organization which meant ...
With Atlanta moving to Winnipeg this year the NHL is faced with a dilemma for the 2012-2013 season (as the NHL has come out and said Winnipeg will be in the Southeast Division for just this upcoming season before switching to the West). With that being said the NHL needs one more team in the east to make the conferences even. Being a Red Wings fan obviously selfishly I a...
Willie Wilts writes...
LEAFS – Richards or Stamkos Possibility? Is Vinny The Key?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The debate over where Dallas superstar center Brad Richards will play next season is heating up again after Richards basically said goodbye to the Dallas fans via twitter Saturday night. Many teams are in the hunt for his services of course but the Leafs and Rangers were thought to be the front runners. That is until it became known Brad preferred to play in a less Media...
Its coming close to draft and free agency time and it's time to bring up the age old question! Will the Leafs ever find their #1 centre they desperately need?
In this day and age its definetly hard to find that #1 centre via trade without giving up an abundance of youth and picks to get said player, but its not impossible. The Leafs have been linked to many #1 centre'...
[img]http://leafshq.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Brian_Burke.jpg[/img]
Its coming close to draft and free agency time and it's time to bring up the age old question! Will the Leafs ever find their #1 centre they desperately need?
In this day and age its definetly hard to find that #1 centre via trade without giving up an abundance of youth and picks to get said ...
It’s no secret that the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in professional sports. Any player will do whatever it takes to hoist it. That’s a proven fact given what has happened through the first four games of the series.
I’m tired of Canuck fans and Bruin fans complaining about the calls. It’s the FINALS! First off, I really don’t think the refs have ...
As you read you will see that I kind of get "tuned" up and no matter how hard I try not to be just a "homer", I just can't agree with the way some of the calls and non calls go. Sometimes I watch the game and get cr@p from my da for criticizing the Nuck players for penalties not called against them, but by and large the most obvious non calls are quite often replayed by th...
I can't stand them. The other thing that pisses me off is that a lot of people in Calgary including a lot of the bars are supporting them. It makes me so angry but seeing them lose tonight was so great. Come read why here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/why-i-dont-like-canucks.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
After the Vancouver Canucks won the first two games of the 2010-11 Stanley Cup Finals, a lot of people were saying things like...
[b]The Canucks have too much talent...
The Canucks are the deeper team...
It's the Canucks year...
[/b]
It was difficult to argue against those comments because in both games it seemed that the Canucks just looked like the better team.
...
Stanley Cup Break Down
First off, congratulations to the Boston Bruins, they truly deserve it. Also I’d like to say congratulations to a Hall of Fame career to Mark Recci, who has been my favorite player. It’s sad to see a guy who can still play like a 30 year old hang his skates. He defiantly has a few years left in his tank.
Where did it all go wrong for the C...
The Calgary Tower is back! Well it never really left, but you know what I mean. Karlsson re-signed with the Flames for another two years today. Read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
In acquiring the negotiating rights to goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, the Flyers addressed an area of concern that experts had called an organizational black hole since the heyday of Ron Hextall in the late 1980's. I disagree with black hole, however, the Flyers had not made goaltending a top priority since then.
By trading for Bryzgalov's rights, and according to most repo...
What a day for hockey fans! Regehr could be headed to Buffalo if he agrees to waive his no trade clause. What does this mean for the Flames? Come to TSR to read more:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/bye-bye-birdie-robyn-on-his-way-out-of.html
Newman
twitter/TSRNewman
Anyone remember the Comcast Sportsnet commercial with Flyers Beat Writer Tim Panaccio and a Flyer Fan? The fan cuts off Panaccio and begins to blab nonsense, "The Flyers are an F5 tornado" he says. That is an understatement today as the Flyers not only shocked Flyerdom, but also the entire NHL as well. The Flyers began to turn heads when they announced that they had tr...
The Iceman writes...
Pre-draft Trades. Will Isles Make Huge Noise 10 Years Later?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
We are just 15 hours away from the 1st round of the 2011 NHL Entry draft. Already some major moves have been made by the Philadelphia Flyers. Moves that quite frankly shocked myself, and the rest of the hockey world on the eve of the draft. The flyers first traded Jeff Carter to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 8th overall pick, Jakub Voracek, and a 3rd round pick. Carter...
Personnally I don't feel that the leafs have missed out on Carter or Richards, neither player are the type of guy that any of us thought we needed. While both are very talented Richards is unpredictable and is still prone to taking terrible penaltied at bad times that hurt his team in late stages of the game and in the playoffs, and Carter is as pure a sniper as Kessel is...
Paul Holmgren, for better or worse, has done it in Philadelphia.
When the Flyers traded for the right's to free agent goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov, everybody knew they were serious...finally...about addressing their question mark in goal.
Everybody also knew that signing Bryzgalov to a new contract would require some type of sacrifice from the current roster in order t...
What Holmgren did was not to simply create salary cap room. One does not trade the faces of his franchise in order to lock up a new goalie. The Flyers could have kept both of the players they traded away yesterday afteroon and signed Ilya Bryzgalov to the same contract and made the numbers work by moving other players.
He chose to change not just the face of his hockey ...
Hi everyone! Welcome to my first Hockey Buzz blog post! As a New Jersey Devils fan, you will find that my postings will typically revolve around issues affecting the Devils in particular, and the Atlantic Division in general. But of course as with any huge NHL fan I may stray from time to time!
Anyway - lets begin by talking about the bold move Paul Holmgren just ...
As most of us know by now, Flyers welcomed several new players yesterday in lieu of their blockbuster deals which sent former captain Mike Richards to LA and leading goal scorer Jeff Carter to Columbus.
Here's my rundown:
1. Carter - The guy has a killer wrist shot. There's no doubt in anyone's mind that his scoring prowess will be sorely missed. Despite the fact tha...
I believe I picked the right day to start my blogging adventure...yesterday at about 2:00, I went onto Hockeybuzz to look if any trade rumors concerned the Flyers. The only rumor I saw was Robyn Regher possibly waiving his NTC to go to Buffalo. Thinking nothing will happen in the next 20 minutes (Who would've thought something did happen?) I go to get cleaned up for the ...
Today, I read Eklund's 3:46am post about the salary floor. He talks about teams struggling to get to the salary floor and how an unmovable salary like Brian Campbell's was able to be moved to Florida, since Florida needs to get to the floor.
I must say, it amazes me at how poorly some of these teams manage the cap. Tallon in Florida just doesn't get it. Edmonton seems...
Today, I read Eklund's 3:46am post about the salary floor. He talks about teams struggling to get to the salary floor and how an unmovable salary like Brian Campbell's was able to be moved to Florida, since Florida needs to get to the floor.
I must say, it amazes me at how poorly some of these teams manage the cap. Tallon in Florida just doesn't get it. Edmonton seems...
This is my first post on HockeyBuzz, so most of you probably won't see it, but I just wanted a place to speak my mind about Philadelphia hockey. So here it goes:
Not many people were shocked when the Flyers shipped out Jeff Carter. The same can't be said for that of Mike Richards. Two of the Flyers elite players gone, but Paul Holmgren did know what he was doing...
Robyn is gone. Tanguay is back and the Flames no longer have to worry about Ales Kotalik sucking it up on the ice. Come to TSR where I look at what the impact of the both the trade and the signing mean to the Flames
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/06/regehr-traded-and-tanguay-signs.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
The draft came and went a bit more anti-climatic than expected. The Sabres did well for themselves adding the agile Finnish winger Joel Armia (though i would have preferred Mark McNeill) and the exciting Daniel Catenacci but to expect either of these players to have in impact in the 2011-2012 season is unrealistic. This years draft was to continue stocking the cupboard ...
The addition of Mike Richards has made the Kings tougher up the middle, but the loss of Simmonds leaves a void to an already thin area on the team: Toughness. The Kings lack the kind of toughness that will enable them to go far in the playoffs.
Dean Lombardi needs to bring in an animal to play on the back-end, a tough forward willing to drop the gloves to fill in for...
For a few weeks now many Penguin fans have been discussing and debating the possible return of Jaromir Jagr to the Penguins.
Some people don't see the point in signing a 39 year old who hasn't played in the NHL for 3 seasons to a $3M contract (word on the street).
I look at the recent signing of Brooks Laich to a 6 year, $27M contract by the Washington Capitals as mo...
While the[b] Islanders[/b] made a move. They traded for the [b]rights to Christain Ehrhoff's contract[/b]. Ehrhoff is fresh off of a run to the Stanley Cup Finals with the Vancouver Canucks and the 28 year old Defenseman will be an[b] UFA[/b] on the First of July. The Isles received these rights after giving up their [b]fourth round pick[/b] in the [b]2012[/b] draft to ...
This is my first blog.
There, now that's out of the way down to business.
Edmonton Oilers...
The news on the possibility of the Oilers acquiring Cam Barker intrigues me. This former 3rd overall selection of the Chicago Blackhawks has had some injury troubles but is young and I believe he was not put into a big enough role in Minnie or Chicago. His 1yr 3mill. contra...
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...
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
The start of unrestricted free agency in hockey is a crazy time.
It's been less than a month since the Stanley Cup was awarded. Less than a month since one team's dream of a championship was realized. Less than a month since new playoff heroes were born.
Now, with those recent memories fresh in mind, NHL GMs, players and fans hope to turn next year's Stanley Cup Cham...
Before I start, I don't claim to be an expert. I have my own opinions, and don't claim to know everything about hockey. If you find any inaccuracies or have any comments, please respectably leave them below or in my Inbox.
Since I last saw my Flyers in May, a lot have transactions obviously have occurred. I was pissed off at the end of the season, and called it the ...
[b]On Richie:[/b]
Anyone who says anything about Mike Richards' play or leadership hasn't watched enough Flyers hockey, especially in the past two seasons. The man will be sorely missed, regardless of what you want to say now that he's gone.
He was easily one of the best two way forwards in hockey, and Los Angeles gets him at that all-too-cheap 5.4 million dollar cap ...
[img:right]http://www.nhlhockeyportal.com/edmontonoilers/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/EdmontonOILERSlogo.gif[/img]
[b]On Friday, I though there was going to be little or no signing by the Oilers turned out that the Oilers were one of the busyer teams. As I was listening to alot of the Brad Richard crap on TSN the Oilers were busy making there team better. He is what...
The 2011 unrestricted free agency period appears that it will be remembered as the year of inflated contracts and a poor man's rendition of Lebron James's 'The Decision' of last summer. However, despite Florida's aggressive spending, Brad Richard's antics, and Jagr's mullet, the summer of 2011 had, in my estimation, some incredible bargains and steals that could wind up pa...
The Flames decided not to go ballistic this weekend and probably for the best. Feaster, I thought, made some sound moves and really good non-moves. Come read my thoughts and remember to follow me on Twitter:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/07/non-moves-flames-strategy.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
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...
Now that the Caps have traded away Eric Fehr to reduce from the salary cap when will they sign young Defender Karl Alzner who had a break out year last year. Questions still remain before opening training camp. Does Tom Poti retire? Will the Caps trade either Mike Green or Alexander Semin? If Poti goes on LTIR that will solve some of the problems. I heard today Green going...
[b]Ryan White Signs 1 year deal with Montreal[/b]
First of all, congratulations to Ryan White for signing a one year deal with the Habs. Good signing for the Habs. White plays with a lot of poise and is one of maybe 2 players who will drop the gloves at any moment so they need a guy like him to play physical for them. He has a year to prove he belongs because there are ...
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.
The canadiens have aquiered defensemen Mark Mitera in return of mathieu Carle on friday.
Mitera 24 played 71 games with the Crunch last season picking up 22 points (6 goals 16 assists) with 50 penalty minutes. Mitera 6'3 has played 108 regular season games in the american league selected by the ducks 19th overall in the 2006 draft. Carle also drafted in 2006 53rd overall...
The Calgary Flames have made some small moves in the last week or so. But were they good moves and moves they really needed to make? Come over to TSR and read more
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/07/calgary-flames-in-july.html
Also remember to follow me on Twitter at: @TSRNewman
Newman
Forwards:
Eric Boulton--33?
David Clarkson--23
Patrik Elias--26--A
Cam Janssen--25---------HEALTHY SCRATCH
Jacob Josefson--16
Ilya Kovalchuk--17--A
Nick Palmeri--32
Zach Parise--9--A
Rod Pelley--10
Brian Rolston--12--A
David Steckel--25
Mattias Tedenby--21
Travis Zajac--19--A
Vladimir Zharkov--18------HEALTHY SCRATCH
Dainius Zubrus--8--A
Defencemen:
...
Not sure if some of you realize this but Buffalo and Washington are over the NHL's cap limit.
Buffalo is over the cap by $3,595,357. Already an exorbitant number, it will more than likely go up since they still have yet to sign defenseman Marc-Andre Gragnani. Gragnani made $500,000 last season so you could expect some sort of raise. This would put Buffalo above $4 milli...
Now that the initial adrenaline rush of free agency is behind us we can gain perspective on the off-season thus far. Now of course every signing and trade comes with a measure of risk, but these are the 5 that i have identified to be the riskiest. Without further ado:
[b]Buffalo Sabres sign Ville Leino for 6yrs/27$mil (4.5mil annual cap hit)[/b]
If you read my Vill...
Forwards:
Eric Boulton--33?
David Clarkson--23
Patrik Elias--26--A
Jacob Josefson--16
Ilya Kovalchuk--17--A
Nick Palmeri--32
Zach Parise--9--A
Rod Pelley--10
Brian Rolston--12--A
David Steckel--25
Mattias Tedenby--21
Travis Zajac--19--A
Vladimir Zharkov--18------HEALTHY SCRATCH
Dainius Zubrus--8--A
Defencemen:
Mark Fayne--34
Andy Greene--6
Adam Lars...
Taking a look back into last year and the seasons before we have seen some night and day goaltenders, but im taking a close look into team build and how the goaltender has progressed over thier careers. Here is my list ...
[b][u]1. Tim Thomas - Boston Bruins - $5 million cap hit - 37 years old[/u][/b]
08-09 he posted great numbers while splitting duties with Manny Fer...
bamdoucet writes...
Predictions for 2011-2012 Standings ! Playoffs ! Trophy's !
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Might as well be a month ahead of everyone's blogs saying whose gonna finish where and whatnot...not like anyone cares, but this is for my own sake and something official when a team makes the playoffs that no one even considered, i might be the one who told u so and have it officially out there, but anyways, i say 50% of what im about to write will come true! if not, i wi...
This is purely my opinion and that is based on observations over the past 20 years or so that I can clearly say I was a full blood member of the Leafs Nation.
1. The New york Yankee syndrom: From what most people say they hate that the leafs would buy their way into the playoffs, and clearly there is no point in saying otherwise because it is very true. It seemed as t...
So, it feels good. I've been debating for a good part of two years now to start a blog, and here I am, finally starting. Ah, it's a good day. So let me fill all you readers in on personal info. I will be covering the Montreal Canadiens. I live in Hamilton, Ontario and am a season ticket holder for the Hamilton Bulldogs. I love playing, watching, and doing anything involvin...
So if anyone was wondering what Chicago is getting in Dan Carcillo, he did not hesitate to let people know in his press conference. While some thought it was funny, some it made nervous and others thought “this is the kind of guy they need,” it certainly got the attention of hockey fans around the league.
Forget the fact that he had no idea that Raffi Torres and ...
Last season the Vancouver Canucks ran away with their division, earning them the presidents trophy in the process, and rode that momentum all the way to game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals where it was promptly halted by Tim Thomas and the boys from Beantown. Though you could make the argument that momentum died the moment Aaron Rome cheap shot Nathan Horton. The Buffalo Sa...
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 4 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Calgary Flames Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.
[/...
The Flames signed Scott Hannan to a one year deal worth one million dollars. It's an okay signing but the Flames are stuck once again doing the exact same thing. Come read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/08/scott-hannan-new-flame-but-same-old.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
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 5 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Carolina Hurricanes Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please...
Sad news out of the NHL today. 27 year old forward Rick Rypien has passed away.
Rypien, a heart and soul player for the Canucks for the past 6 seasons, took time off from the game close to the end of the 2010-2011 season to deal with some personal issues not related to substance abuse.
At 5'11 190lbs, Rypien was said to be undersized yet he took on players as big as...
Jeff Woywitka is now a Canadian. Montreal signed the defender to a one-year, two-way deal. Woywitka spent the 2010-2011 season with the Dallas Stars where he had 2 goals and 9 assists for 11 points in 63 games.
The former 1st rounder has been through the AHL and NHL in the past few years. This is a great addition for the Canadians. Woywitka has played 251 career N...
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...
Hello Everyone.
This is my debut hockey blog on, well, any website. My opinions might be skewered, in your opinion. I’m aware of the fact that anything I might say could be something that might sound ridiculous to one, yet completely sensible to the other. Anyways, seeing how this is my first blog, I’ll start off with something easy, right? I’ll be doing an analys...
This is the first blog I've ever written on the Calgary Flames, so please excuse any factual errors and if my grammar ain't so good.
After five consecutive years of spring hockey in Calgary, the last two seasons have ended prematurely. Many pundits and so-called experts are predicting the same disappointment for the Flames this coming season. However, those of us who wa...
It's been a while since I posted a blog here. In fact, I haven't posted anything in ages!
I decided to write a bit about the situation that prevails here in Quebec City regarding the new arena and everything that revolves around it.
First off, I think I speak for everyone here in Quebec when I say Congratulations to Winnipeg! It is so amazing that you got your team b...
I have compiled a list of comeback players and break out candidates for the 2011-2012 season. These guys should help any fantasy pool, especially down the stretch.
Don't call it a comeback this is a throwback and a showdown!
1. Alex Ovechkin - 85 pts is a bad season when your the GR 8. Expect him to win the Art Ross this year 115pts.
2. Nicklas Backstrom - 65pts i...
I have compiled a list of comeback players and break out candidates for the 2011-2012 season. These guys should help any fantasy pool, especially down the stretch.
Don't call it a comeback this is a throwback and a showdown!
1. Alex Ovechkin - 85 pts is a bad season when your the GR 8. Expect him to win the Art Ross this year 115pts.
2. Nicklas Backstrom - 65pts i...
[img]http://www.cyberpresse.ca/images/bizphotos/435x290/200910/30/120459-maire-sortant-regis-labeaume-multiplie.jpg[/img]
There has been alot of people complaining about the fact that Quebec City's new arena would be built using mainly public money.
When we take a look at the situation it is easy to end up with this conclusion, but there is more to it than what it lo...
Langkow was traded for Lee Stempniak. What does the move mean for the Flames? Did Jay Feaster make the right move? Follow the link!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/08/langk-you-very-much-daymond-langkow.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
With one of the greatest minor league affiliates in Hamilton, the Canadiens have a list of great young talent moving forward. There are three that played with the big boys last year that I expect to have breakout years.
Max Pacioretty
Last year, his season was cut short due to a spinal injury but he showed flashes of a positive future with a season that saw him play in...
Flames GM Jay Feaster has continued his purging of big contracts by shipping out center Daymond Langkow in return for the unpredictable RW/LW Lee Stempniak.
Langkow was acquired during the lockout year of 2004, basically replacing Craig Conroy who then GM Darryl Sutter let walk via free agency. The mantra at the time was "bigger and younger" and Langkow managed to fill ...
I'm new here...JUST registered.
I've always had this thought...not sure if it's new or not, and I have no idea how a person would go about getting an idea like this to the league, but....
I always felt that a player who just won the Stanley Cup should be recognized for it for the whole year. I know they all get rings, but I mean [u]on the ice[/u].
So...let's take ...
Here we go! Tell me your thoughts and why. Please try to be an adult this blog isnt meant to hurt anyone its purely for fun.
[u][b]Western Conference[/b][/u]
1. Van
2. LA
3. Chi
4. SJ
5. STL
6. Det
7. Nsh
8. Col
9. Clb
10. Min
11. Ana
12. Cgy
13. Dal
14. Edm
15. Phx
[u][b]Eastern Conference[/b][/u]
1. TB
2. Buf
3. Pit
4. NYR
5. Was
6. Bos...
I had a chance to look at the Jets new jersey's and I'm disappointed only in the fact that there isn't very much red (aside from the logo there is none) in the jersey.
I think, like a lot of people, I wanted to see an updated version of the last Jets jersey's. Of course, as has been noted elsewhere on this site, maybe it was that expectation, along with the name, that m...
I sat down at my computer last night, excited to watch some hockey. It had been months since the last time I saw the puck drop. After a summer filled with horrible hockey occurrences, it was nice to see some hockey action. Unfortunately, it came in the form of a 6 - 1 drubbing of the Calgary Flames, from the San Jose Sharks at the rookie tournament.
The Flames started o...
So with all the free time ive had on my hands at work with business slowing down /summer coming to an end im usually left with countless hours to surf the net. Unfortunatley all of the good sites are blocked ( Youtube, Yahoo, Hotmail etc) which means im left looking up meaningless stats and reading NHL blogs for the majority of my 8 hour shift. I might as well put all of t...
Following the abrupt ending to what was a dream run, and a fantastic playoff ride for the Vancouver Canucks and their fans, I sat on the sidewalk on Granville Street, Head in hands fighting back tears as I watched my city burn. After a trip to the pub with my good buddy and fellow "browntobure" blogger, where we disccussed all the things that went wrong, what could have b...
djvoiz writes...
Bill 204 adopted: Quebec's hopes reaching new heights
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It's such a great day for everyone who dreams of the return of the Nordiques in Quebec, like myself.
I have been dreaming about this for so long and now, its unreal to take a moment and realize that a new NHL-ready arena will be built and delivered during the 2015 summer.
The "Assemblée nationale" voted for Bill 204 today, which means that it secures the deal betwee...
With the flames kicking off their pre-season with a doubleheader against the Canucks tonight, the flames faithful are out and about showing off the team colors. The season is knocking on the door, but the question is will the flames answer early or will it be the usual early season woes.
The flames find themselves with a lot of options to play in the middle going into the...
Before the anxiety and paranoia sets in that the Hawks season is officially doomed, please let's try to be a little more rational about analyzing tonight's loss by the Hawks at the hands of the Pens, 4-1.
Yes, there were some unfortunate plays here and there, especially on the defensive side of things, but let's remember that this is still the preseason. Guys like McLea...
rather than try to retell the whole story ill just assume everyone has heard of this and to those who havnt direct you to espn.com to check it out.
basically a banana was thrown from the stands at Wayne simmonds during a shootout attempt.
This is my first blog and done from my Iphone so cut me some slack. that being out of the way lets jump into this.
first up th...
Pittsburgh area native Brandon Saad will be playing in his 3rd straight Hawks preseason game tonight against Washington at the UC and Andrew Brunette also makes his debut as a Hawk tonight.
Chicago's number one netminder, Corey Crawford, will take his place between the pipes for the Hawks tonight for the first time this preseason.
Click here to read more of my Haw...
With the preseason in full gear, we have gotten to see a preview of what to expect in this defining 2012 NHL season. I know that lately my blogs have been focused on all 30 teams, but today I'm just going to talk Habs. This blog will be (obviously) about what I expect from the players (stat wise) and the team's opening night lines. Also, I'll write a blurb on a few of the ...
mcefalu writes...
Hawks-Capitals Recap; Hawks Preseason Gameday @ Red Wings
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Friday night's Hawks' victory over the Washington Capitals provided a thrilling show for nearly 20,000 Chicagoans at the UC. Hawks received goals from Viktor Stalberg (2) and the gamewinner from youngster Brandon Saad (plus 1 assist). Jonathan Toews finished the game with two assists.
Hawks matchup against Red Wings at The Joe with a slightly different roster makeup tha...
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...
I'm going to take a more straightfoward and simplistic approach to my reaction from last night's Hawks' victory over a mostly AHL roster of Red Wings players. Ultimately, because Chicago came away with a win, there were obvious positives. The biggest questions from last night surround Patrick Kane's effectiveness at Center and the defensive breakdowns that led to three Red...
Can Roman Horak stick with the big club? And for how long? It's been the surprise of Flames TC. Come over TSR to read more
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/09/roman-empire-horak-looks-to-stick-with.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Last year, the Chicago Blackhawks lost a grind-it-out battle against the Colorado Avalanche in OT from Paul Stastny's game winning goal in their season opener in Colorado. This year, the Blackhawks hope to avoid a similar fate tonight when they face off against Mike RiBeiro and the Dallas Stars.
Highlights from last year's Blackhawks Season Opener:
http://www.youtub...
The question that many Carolina Hurricanes' fans are asking as we look ahead to the upcoming 2011-2012 season is, “Did the Canes strengthen themselves sufficiently with the summer moves to claw back into the post-season, after missing by a single point last year?”
No question the moves were encouraging. The Canes headed into free agency with a number of key players...
The 0-2 Rangers are finished their whirlwind trip through Europe, and get a week off before beginning the remaining 80 games of the season. There are a lot of positives and negatives to take from the two regular season games, an OT loss to the Kings and a SO loss to the Ducks. Let’s get right to it.
[b]Positives[/b]
[i]Goaltending: [/i]
Even though he didn’t pick ...
the Flames were soundly beat last night. Sign of things to come? Or just a prime example of how far the Flames are from being a good team. Read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/10/flames-downed-in-opener.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
...The Tomas Vokoun signing in Washington appears now to be about as much like the Ilya Bryzgalov signing in Philadelphia as their two salaries are for 2011...which is to say "not much". Initially people compared the two with the idea being that both clubs were obtaining "top" netminders to make them legitimate cup contenders. Washington seemed to get the better deal becau...
By Aakash Gulati
One game into the season. Hockey is back and the Flames are here.
Having previously looked at the flames centre depth, it is time to look at who will be flanking the Flames centres. A consistent theme with all the flames wingers is their consistency issues.
Iginla
With over 900 points and flames top leading scorer for the last 11 seasons, Iginla has ...
mcefalu writes...
Hawks Thoughts - Top Prospect Saad Returned to OHL Team
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
On Wednesday, the Chicago Blackhawks sent arguably their top organizational prospect in Brandon Saad (sorry Kyle Beach) back to his OHL team, the Saginaw Spirit. Though Saad registered no points in his two games with the Blackhawks in the early regular season, he did play well during the preseason against several division rivals, which included getting time on a line wit...
Yes, we're only three games in and, yes, the Flyers have taken six of a possible six points. We're all happy in Flyerville.
But.
Yes, in Philly sports, there is always a but. Right now, it's defensive zone communication. It's a problem I noted in the Flyers' win over Boston, one they seemed to do much better with against New Jersey, but Wednesday night against Vancou...
Welcome to a new feature on the blog, "Wind Sprints." Much like the endurance-building exercise of a hockey team, we'll do four notes - blue line, red line, far blue line and goal line.
At the end, instead of being exhausted, you'll be better informed. Or both.
[b]Blue Line
[/b]It's going to be an odd site watching Mike Richards skate on Wells Fargo ice Saturday.
...
Flames won their first game of the season against Montreal and that too by a decent margin of 4-1. After two stinking losses against the pens and the blues, finding the win column is definitely a good feeling. Going into Toronto with a win will be a feel good factor. In Toronto we will be up against ex-flames Phaneuf and Lombardi and the game should be a fun one for a Satu...
I just wanted to comment on what Brooks Laich had to say about the NHL's new rules about player protection. Brooks just wants to play the game. He's tired of people telling him what he has to do in certain situations for the betterment of the players.
In my opinion he couldn't be more right. Secondly I applaud him for going on record during such a tumultuous time. T...
A brutal 1-3 start has lots of fans wondering if we're in for another playoff-less season in Calgary. Should we be worried or is it too early to tell? Come read for yourselves, and I swear I try to be positive...
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/10/should-calgary-flames-fans-be-worried.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
From 1997 to 2006, the Vancouver Canucks must have used around a million different netminders, and never found a clear #1 since Kirk Mclean. What I mean by this is they never had a goaltender after that, that was "the guy", well, they did have Dan Cloutier who was probably one of the better regular season goaltenders out there at the time, but at best good for a round in t...
3 games + 5 goals = No wins. It seems simple enough: once again the Rangers have scoring issues. The reason is no longer lack of talent up front, instead the cause is far more painful because it is self-inflicted, not Sather-inflicted. The Rangers should be winning games. They outscore opponents at a 1.25:1 ratio at even strength. Unfortunately, they have spent 9:40 per ga...
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...
Here we are on October 19th, 6 games into the Canucks regular season, and local sports talk shows are flooded with calls by the usual boneheaded people about the teams 2-3-1 start, and of course, Roberto Luongo. It's not a debate or argument if Luongo isnt involved, not in this city. What really gets me is the fact that the team infront of Luongo last night owned 50 mins o...
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...
With the sole intent of expressing my opinion and to raise enough eyebrows to thwart nasty responses; I have decided to write a blog about the Canucks as a whole. The organization, the fans, the forwards, the D, the coaches and oh yeah, the goalie..(s). I will break it up into a two-part series.
To be honest, for the better part of the last few years the Canucks have be...
Coming off an impressive 7-2 win that snapped a losing streak in Ottawa that spanned several presidential elections, the Philadelphia Flyers return home tonight to face the Washington Capitals.
And Alex Ovechkin.
Not necessarily in that order.
The series between these two teams has been tight in recent seasons. Since the 2007-08 season (the first season following...
A lot's been made out of Luongo's recent play on certain goals. I may have, in certain public forums and Facebook pages, called for him to be moved, shut down, pulled or at least replaced with Schneider in a wig, make-up and Lu's jersey.
Those have been momentary reactions and I want to apologize, I really do. There's more to life than hockey and I'm watching a team tha...
So lets start by saying Hello, to my fellow bloggers.
This is my First Blog ever, so bare with me. Unfortunately for all you Vancouver Canucks haters, i am not one. I have been a fan for as long as i can possibly remember. Lets get down to business.
There is a lifetime of Luongo things that can and will be written, along with cody Hodgson, the twins production and al...
The Islanders have fallen to .500 after losing two straight in Florida. Is it time for head coach Jack Capuano to shuffle up the lines? Rob McGowan takes a look at the Islanders' play over the past six games.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/are-isles-better-500
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Like us...
In a snoozefest of a hockey game, the Flames dropped their second straight Saturday afternoon. But did they necessarily play that bad? And what about the revised goaltending philosophy in Calgary. These things will be debated...
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/10/no-afternoon-delight-flames-lose-second.html
Newman
Follow me: Twitter.com/TSRNewman
After the completion of a home and home with surprising Western Conference foe, Colorado, the Blackhawks came away with 3 out of 4 possible points. Hawks are now a commendable 4-1-2 on the season, good for 5th in the West. Chicago also boasts a goal differential of +6, which is tied for 2nd in the West, as well.
Make no mistake, Blackhawks should come poised to jump rig...
First let me say this is my first blog on this site, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!
I know it's not even one month into the season, and a lot of fans may be upset reading this, but remember it is only my opinion.
This season is looking more and more like a complete right-off. This team is going nowhere fast, and even if by some miracle we do sneak int...
The Flames stuck to their guns on Wednesday night and pulled out a much needed win. A run down of the game and a look at what the play of Horak means for the team going forward.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/10/flames-bury-avalanche.html
Newman
While geneticists on Terra Nova hope to head off global warming (oops! Climate change nowadays) by discovering the insidious Luongo genome, NBA owners and players are at an impasse over whether or not Booby Lu is in fact responsible for all of the woes facing pro sports today.
A bit of a stretch you say? Well, considering that callers to Vancouver sports radio shows are...
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 am going to take a look at the Flames last ten years of first round draft picks and tell you if I think it was a bust or not.
Chuck Kobasew 2001 1st rd. 14th overall.
Kobasew wasn’t the only player from the 2001 draft that became a regular NHLer for the Flames. David Moss was the other player but besides those the rest of the draft has become a bust. Kobasew ...
I am going to take a look at the Flames last ten years of first round draft picks and tell you if I think it was a bust or not.
Chuck Kobasew 2001 1st rd. 14th overall.
Kobasew wasn’t the only player from the 2001 draft that became a regular NHLer for the Flames. David Moss was the other player but besides those the rest of the draft has become a bust. Kobasew ...
4blindmice writes...
Never underestimate the value of a proper NHL snarl!!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Obviously fans and coaches alike appreciate grit and the willingness to go into the tough areas of the ice, but what seems to be equally valuable, even if it is at a sub-conscious level, is the ability to curl the upper lip and stare right through a player as though you’re going to rip his heart out.
More than one NHLer has backed away from Kevin Bieksa after realizin...
4blindmice writes...
DON CHERRY = BLUSTER OVER SUBSTANCE TIME & TIME AGAIN
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Wouldn’t it be nice if just once Ron MacLean actually challenged one of Don Cherry’s outlandish assertions and made him support it with some substance?
Seriously though, if you throw in a few Cherry-wanna-be’s, like Mike Milbury or Doug MacLean, the so-called expert analysis segment of your favourite hockey program is filled to the brim with unsupported rhetoric f...
Brian Rolston said he would play better if used on the top two lines; in his first game on the second unit, Rolston scored his first goal of the season and played on the most succesful line against the Washington Capitals last night. Rob McGowan reports.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/time-brian-rolston-revival
Like TCL's Islanders Fac...
mcefalu writes...
Hawks Thoughts - Hawks Special Teams Remain Rather Ordinary
Posted Monday | Comments 0
When your team only manages 2 goals from its bottom six forwards against a conference rival with the second best power play in the NHL, you're generally not giving yourself a good chance to win.
The Blackhawks did just that (and then some) in "aiding" the Vancouver Canucks to a dominating 6-2 win over Chicago Sunday night at the United Center. Yuck.
Click here to r...
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...
- Fighting in hockey isn't going anywhere because too many people who are part of the legislative process of the game want fighting to stay. The question of whether or not it is an integral part of the game is a tough one to answer because as long as it's allowed, it's a part of the game. I would offer that if it was removed from the game, the biggest losers would be play...
Man, is it painful watching the Carolina Hurricanes these days.
You can sugarcoat it all you want. The Hurricanes suck right now. This past week-end put an excalmation mark on that sentiment. No doubt, Jeff Daniels' Charlotte Checkers would have put up a better fight. At least the effort would have been there.
But, hey. Maybe now that Jim Rutherford is a part-o...
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
It's over. Hagman is finally leaving Calgary. Come to the The Sports Roundup to find out what it means and a little more about his run in cow town.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/11/hagman-claimed-by-ducks.html
Newman
Ken Campbell is wrong. Very, very wrong. In his latest gem of an article he proclaimed that the Leafs have never had a "true superstar" on the team, that Sundin doesn't belong in the HHOF in his first year of eligibility, and the HHOF is biased towards Toronto players.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/42947-Campbell-Hall-of-Fame-Leafs-bias-will-benefit-Sundin.htm...
Call it revenge, call it payback beyotch, I don't care, you pick. The Hawks were able to avenge their 6-2 loss to the Canucklheads ten days ago, as they came into Vancouver and beat the em last night 5-1. The Hawks played a very disciplined game, got timely scoring and strong goaltending to skate to victory over the Canucks in front of a stunned, towel waving, early leav...
Last night's 5-1 Blackhawks' victory over rival Vancouver was the perfect example of how a successful powerplay can seriously steal the momentum for your team. The Blackhawks did a great job of exposing the Canucks lack of offensive depth last night at Rogers Arena.
Click here for my thoughts on last night's Blackhawks victory over Vancouver -
http://thecheckingli...
So here we are AGAIN. The trade possibility talk about the Flames top players. I want to be as clear as possible so everyone knows my stance in regards to the top guys everyone talks about.
Iginla- Iginla is the last chance this club has for a massive return, Dion’s trade was a blown opportunity, Iginla has to be traded for something. Management has said he won’t be...
The struggling Washington Capitals have fired Bruce Boudreau, replacing him with London Knights coach Dale Hunter. Hunter joins the Capitals after a successful run with the London Knights of the OHL.
The 51-year-old Hunter becomes the 15th coach in Capitals' history.
He is slated to make his debut behind the bench Tuesday when the Capitals host the St. Louis Blues a...
The tale of two different teams showed over the last weekend. Nobody showed up in Columbus per usual in that building, but Saturday the Sabres/Amerks were responsible for getting Boudreau fired after a 5-1 beat down. With 9 regulars out of the line-up the kids came to play and took it to the underachieving and uninspired Washington Capitals. Kassian got his first NHL go...
Captain Serious, a.k.a. Jonathan Toews, gets paid the big bucks for many reasons. He scores goals, he sets up plays, he digs out the puck in corners in order to set up said plays and he shuts down some of the most lethal opposing offensive threats in the NHL.
Of course, you already knew that.
Good players in the NHL can provide offense for their teams throughout th...
rockthered24 writes...
Boudreau done in capital: Do we blame Ovechkin?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Earlier this week, the news came out of the nation's capital that Bruce Boudreau, the head coach of the Ovechkin-led Washington Capitals since November of 2007 had been fired. Instantly, reports flowed in that his firing was in large part due to Alexander Ovechkin's unhappiness with his own performance as well as with Bruce Boudreau himself.
Bloggers and columnists ...
Still think Chicago should make that bid for Bobby Ryan?
Right.
Be sure to check out TCL's newest Blackhawks' writer Maggie Avila's game recap from last night here -
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/maggie-avila/chicago-blackhawks/chicago-blackhawks-home-sick-or-sick-home
Here's a brief goal analysis of last night's joke of a 60 minute effort by your Chicago ...
The Flames blew a 3-1 lead with less than 5 minutes left in the third. You wanna hear a rant...well here it is because I'm pissed off!
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/12/new-low-flames-lose-to-jackets.html
Newman
The Chicago Blackhawks will look to rebound tonight from their previous 4-1 trouncing by the defensive-minded Phoenix Coyotes when they get ready to face the struggling New York Islanders at the United Center. This will be the first meeting between the two teams this season.
Corey Crawford, who is expected to get the start tonight, has somewhat unfortunate statistics i...
The Chicago Blackhawks will look to continue their winning ways tonight when they matchup with the St. Louis Blues at Scottrade Center. The Blackhawks are coming off of an exciting 5-4 shootout win against the struggling New York Islanders last night and look to build on that success.
This will be the second matchup of the season for these two teams, with the Blues ta...
This story is becoming more and more familiar.
Despite rallying to erase a 3-0 deficit to tie the game late in the second period, the Chicago Blackhawks were unable to finish off a hard-working Phoenix Coyotes club in the shootout, losing 4-3.
Both Oliver Ekman-Larsson and former Blackhawk Radim Vrbata scored for Phoenix in the shootout, while red-hot Blackhawks ...
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...
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...
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...
The magical mits of Patrick Kane provided the insurance tally to Jonathan Toews' game winning shoot out goal in capturing two points for the Chicago Blackhawks against the Minnesota Wild last night.
Kane put on a clinic with his dazzling puck dance, sending Niklas Backstrom into a spiral of confusion, as he put away the game winning goal to give Chicago the 4-3 victor...
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 ...
The Chicago Blackhawks get set to square off for the third time this season against their distant neighbors from the west coast when they host the Anaheim Ducks tonight at the United Center.
The last meeting between the Blackhawks and the Ducks saw Hawks' captain Jonathan Toews carry his team to a rallying 6-5 win with his 5 point effort. Anaheim will look to avoid the ...
Many positives can be taken from Minnesota's rise to the top of the league. Among those is the emergence of rookie blueliner Marco Scandella. Scandella is playing his first full season as a member of the Wild after spending time between the Wild and Houston (AHL) in the previous season.
The Montreal native was selected by the Wild in the second round (55th overall) of ...
Having taken points from each of their last seven games, the Chicago Blackhawks will look to continue that success against a recently surging Calgary Flames club tonight at the United Center.
The Chicago Blackhawks come into this game with an impressive 20-8-4 overall record and 8-1-1 in their last ten games. The Calgary Flames, however, hold a mediocre 14-14-4 overall ...
cuppacoldtea writes...
Application For Post of General Manager of les Canadiens
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Dear Molson Family,
I am hereby informing you of my intention to apply for the post of the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens. Although my experience is very limited, I plan to explain why I would be by far the best GM the Canadiens have had in the cap era.
It is difficult to truly know what the team would look like under my guidance over the last few years. ...
It appears that the Chicago Blackhawks defensive issues are no longer much of an issue at all.
The Chicago Blackhawks used a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets at the United Center to maintain first place in the NHL with 50 points.
Red-hot Viktor Stalberg scored two goals, Dave Bolland and Marian Hossa posted two points apiece and the Blackhawks won their sec...
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...
It was the kind of game Blackhawks fans knew they could win if Chicago could just break through with a goal before the start of the third period.
Didn't happen.
Jonathan Quick stopped all 38 shots by the Blackhawks and Trent Hunter and Jarret Stoll scored a dirty goal each en route to their 2-0 victory over Chicago last night. Los Angeles won their second straight an...
Here is an update on the Islanders top prospect, Ryan Strome as he continues his strong play for Team Canada in this year's World Junior's Tournament
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/strome-looks-home-world-juniors
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
www.facebook.com/TCLIsles
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. ...
It's hard to believe that halfway through the regular season, the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings are just now meeting for the first of six times tonight when the Hawks host the Wings at the United Center.
Over the last ten games, statistically speaking, the Blackhawks and Red Wings share virtually identical stats all around. Both teams have played very well of...
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...
Jerome Iginla is on the verge of getting his 500th goal both in his career and as a flame but the team is out of the playoffs and have missed for the last two years. Iggy as he has come to be known by flames fans was drafted by the Dallas Stars 11th overall in 1995 but was quickly traded to Calgary after the draft for Joe Nieuwendyk the Stars won the cup with Nieuwendyk bu...
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 ...
The Chicago Blackhawks are the top-ranked team but GM Stan Bowman is prepared for trade talks anytime now as the trade deadline is soon coming up. Some concern that Bowman has is his secondary scoring.
The Hawks have great players to begin with and they are showing the numbers. Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Marian Hossa always put a good game on and than you have you...
Habs defensemen Josh Gorges has received a six year contract extension worth 23 million.
Habs defensemen Josh Gorges has received a six year contract extension worth 23 million.
Habs defensemen Josh Gorges has received a six year contract extension worth 23 million.
Montreal Canadiens general manager has finally made a good move signing Josh Gores to a six year contract extension worth 23 million.In 307 games with the habs Gorges scored 59 points (9 goals 50 assists) going +16 with 150 penalty minutes.
Montreal Canadiens general manager has finally made a good move signing Josh Gores to a six year contract extension worth 23 million.In 307 games with the habs Gorges scored 59 points (9 goals 50 assists) going +16 with 150 penalty minutes.
Montreal Canadiens general manager has finally made a good move signing Josh Gores to a six year contract extension worth 23 million.In 307 games with the habs Gorges scored 59 points (9 goals 50 assists) going +16 with 150 penalty minutes.
Montreal Canadiens general manager has finally made a good move signing Josh Gores to a six year contract extension worth 23 million.In 307 games with the habs Gorges scored 59 points (9 goals 50 assists) going +16 with 150 penalty minutes.
40 games in the season the Flames sit in 12th spot in the west. What's been good so far this season. Read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2012/01/calgary-flames-mid-season-report.html
Newman
It is January 2nd, and the Canucks are 2 points out of first place in the NHL. I`m sure anyone who has been a Canucks fan for as long as I have been, must be truly happy with the state of the Franchise, this has been the best back to back seasons of hockey we have ever seen. I plan on sharing my thoughts, and opinions through this blog, and see if it is something I will be...
[img] http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/377538_10150453288332293_500697292_8764872_728421700_n.jpg[/img]
WJC
It's official Canada gets its rematch against Russia, but this time its not for gold. After coming through the first round of the tournament Canada won every weighted game that they played along the way. Where does this leave us? We received a bu...
Tonight is the big game. Re-match from the World Junior Gold Medal game last year in Buffalo. As a Canadian, I was really cheering the Czech's on last tonight against Russia. In such a tight game, Grigori Zheldakov scored the game-winner for Russia following a power-play from the Czech's. Daniel Krejci was hit on the follow through of a Russian players stick, and stayed do...
So the bench boss went on record with the media by saying that the performance of Eric Fehr has to be better. Noel pulled no punches in his interview and put his point across as a matter-of-factly as one possibly could.
I suppose the ball is now in Fehr's court and many Jets fans are waiting to see what the big forward will do after being singled out in such a manner.
...
Jackets GM Scott Howson has mentioned that he is going to make his last-placed club and make it a top 10 team. He has also mentioned that his team will be shaken up in the up comming weeks leading to the Febuary, 27 trade dealine.
Now the Columbus Dispatch has mentioned that the Blue Jackets' players are feeling some sort of effects that moves are comming up and they a...
Well in my last post I was talking about the Jackets and in that there where some rumors of Jeff Carter being shiped off to Toronto. Now the Leafs would and I know for a fact go for this. The Leafs are 19-15-5 and are 10th in the Eastern Confrence 1 pt behind the red hot Devils. Now the Leafs could possibley offer Kadri, Grabovski and a pick for Carter. That sounds reasona...
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...
This game, was almost painful to watch. I can’t describe it any better than that. Carolina, the worst team in the Eastern Conference, takes out Buffalo 4-2, in a game whose score indicated it was a lot closer than it actually was.
“Mark this date, 1/4/12, down as the day that the fortunes of the Sabres, and for that matter, the remainder of their season season, has...
It would appear as if in the last five years Montreal has become a veterans grave. It seems that word has been spread around how if your an overpaid, underachieving veteran, Montreal's the place to go, it has to stop. A sacred franchise is fast becoming a joke due to its shockingly bad trades and unnecessary signings such as Scott Gomez for Ryan McDonagh, and the signing o...
Semyon Varlamov stopped all 25 Chicago Blackhawks shots he faced en route to Colorado Avalanche's dominating 4-0 victory last night.
Simply put, the Blackhawks were out-skated at almost all parts of the ice and Corey Crawford was no where near as sharp as his opponent, Varlamov, was at the United Center last night.
The Blackhawks did have some decent scoring chances ...
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...
The Chicago Blackhawks just got a little too cautious at the end of the game last night against the Detroit Red Wings leading 2-1 with less than five minutes to play in the third period.
In only their second season matchup against division rival, Detroit, the Blackhawks were looking to break out of a 3 game slump that started on January 2nd, 2012, only to extend it with...
Jarome Iginla joined the exclusive 500 goal club on Saturday night. Now, there are talks of him once again leaving town. I don't think it's going to happen though. Come over to The Checking Line to read more!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/mr-500-jarome-iginla
Newman
Boston.
Beantown, Hub, The Walking City.
So many cute nicknames these arrogant Chowd's have for their city, but everyone knows the best nicknames aren't given to ones self, but rather thrust upon you by others. Allow me to introduce to you, Boston, The Centre For Mass Hypocrisy.
Our blue collared, working class heroes to the east have thrown quite the party the past fe...
It’s been the story of the Flyers’ life this season. Bad bounces + deflections = a goal past Ilya Bryzgalov.
Nothing changed during last night’s finale of a Home-and-Home series against the Ottawa Senators.
With just 1:11 left in the third, Filip Kuba took a shot from the point that changed direction and went passed Bryzgalov. That was the 2nd time that game ...
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 0
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...
As Montreal struggles to climb into a playoff spot its apparent they're lacking in more than a few areas of expertise. This year however the PP, offense and the teams toughness and grit have been among the teams problems. However with one move they can drastically improve the teams grit and strength, Colton Orr. Montreal needs a player who can stand up for their superstars...
When a team endures a poor stretch of play...and the subsequent losses that are the result of that play...things can start to unravel in a hurry.
Heading into last night's game against the Ottawa Senators, the Penguins were spiraling down the Eastern Conference standings...thanks to a 4 game losing streak...and in desperate need of some positive results.
Injuries hav...
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 ...
The Penguins lost their 6th game in a row last night, this time at the hands of the Washington Capitals by a score of 1-0.
It was a physical game filled with lots of hits:
79 to the body, according to the official stats
several punches landed between Craig Adams and Matt Hendricks
a few pucks off of goal posts
one puck that managed to hit the back of either net
...
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 ...
The Habs got Mike Cammalleri's huge contract off the books on Thursday. The Habs traded Cammy, along with Karri Ramo, who is playing in the KHL, and a 5th round pick to the Calgary Flames for forward Rene Bourque, prospect Patrick Holland, and a 2nd round pick in 2013.
It is interesting to note that this trade happened a little more than 24 hours after he made critical...
It's becoming harder and harder to whine and complain about the Habs. The painful reality of what is has set in. I've said for many years, regardless of the organisation, leadership and success is a culture. And that culture starts at the top. Not in the locker room. Not in the history books. At the top of an active, dynamic stack of people.
It's become clear that the c...
And that, folks, is how good teams battle through adversity.
Despite missing star scoring winger, Patrick Sharp, to injury, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Minnesota Wild last night with a determined 5-2 victory at the United Center. With the win, Chicago moves back into first place with 57 points in their division.
The Blackhawks overcame this adversity with sub...
RyanZabizewski writes...
Montreal Trades Disgruntled Cammalleri For slouching Bourque
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Last night the Habs(16-20-7) lost 2-1 to the Bruins(28-11-1) but that wasn't the main story. less than 24 hours after Mike Cammalleri called the team a bunch of "Losers" he was nowhere to be seen in the 3rd period, the commentators thought he might have been injured. Then tweets from Dave stubbs, Mckenzie, Duthie said possibility that Cammalleri could have been traded.
...
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...
There are those out there who are coming down on Mike Cammalleri for making his statements about the current state of affairs in the Montreal dressing room.
Why ?
Nobody can deny that the diminutive forward has always been known as a pretty class act and stand-up guy. His comments were bang-on in my assumption and the fact that he said them to the media does nothing...
HabsFan4Always writes...
How Long is the Dark Tunnel of the Montreal Canadiens?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens are an organization driving along in a dark tunnel without functional headlights. You do not fire your head coach, fire an assistant coach, trade a player with a 6 million dollar salary cap hit mid-game and have the worst power play in the league all before the All-Star Break if things are going well. But just how long is this dark tunnel and is th...
One might say that things are "pretty even" between the Chicago Blackhawks and their division neighbors, the Detroit Red Wings.
They're so even, in fact, that the Blackhawks only hold a slight edge over the Motor City by two points in the standings and Detroit has one game in hand.
The two teams will meet for the third time this season in Detroit tomorrow at 11:30 AM...
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 ...
I know this is an old subject, however I have not had the chance to post this as of yet. So here it is.
This is my tribute to one of the best captains, and most talented players in NHL history.
To start off, I’d like to say congratulations to Jarome Iginla, for scoring his 500th goal – a feat performed by only 42 other NHL players. It may not have been the prett...
Over the past few weeks, I've received numerous tweets and emails asking me the same question. "What should Calgary do" and "Should Iginla be traded". This is not an easy question to answer, and therefore I have decided to write about it. The organization will be analyzed as a whole, and I'll give MY opinions on what the Flames' should do.
I think that for the best inte...
The Chicago Blackhawks face one of two possibilities tomorrow night when they host the struggling Buffalo Sabres at the United Center-
Either they recognize and capitalize on the recently unfortunate play of the Buffalo Sabres...
Or, they shrug off the Sabres as any kind of real challenge, come out flat and succumb to the dreaded "trap game" against their unfamiliar ...
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. ...
Three wins in a row...two in the Sunshine state where we've definitely taken our lumps over the years...and one against the Hurricanes - who also give us fits...has Penguin fans feeling a lot better than a week ago.
Without exaggeration...we needed those wins badly.
I wouldn't say all of the Penguins ills have been cured...but it is safe to say that they seem to be ...
It appears my entry did work, several times in fact. Apologies on that, I`ll try and avoid that in the future. I`ll try this again before Saturdays tilt with Sharks. The Canucks have had a medium sized let down since the Bruins game. I think the next few days will allow them to re-focus. I hope so, because the last two games have been less then fun to watch.
Until next ti...
vowswithin writes...
Flames vs Kings Gameday: + Picture of Halls leather face!!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://nationalpostsports.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/0119hall.jpg[/img]
Taylor Hall was Injured in practice the other night and ended up taking a bunch of stitches. He is out for a few days at least but luckily didn't loose an eye. Scary injury that turned out as good at you can hope. Wishing him a quick recovery!
As you may or may not know the Calgary flames...
Rumours around Mtl is Getzlaf for Subban, and Plecks.
Here are the reasons why I would not pull the trigger.
We are not in contention nor are we anywhere near being in contention for a cup. So why would we go and acquire Getzlaf? Getz would only be helping us now, but we dont need help now, in fact we need to tank now. If we were to acquire such a big name/big center, ...
The Flames' get out shot 32-25 against the surging Los Angeles Kings, and again can't score, however the overall game was a solid performance by Calgary. Here are some notes on last nights' game, as well as some others leading up to tomorrows' game against Edmonton.
- Jarome Iginla was a beast last night. Scoring a Powerplay goal, and coming in 2nd on the team for total...
Well there's another one in the books folks. The Calgary Flames' defeat the young and vibrant Edmonton Oilers, 6 - 2 in what did not look like a 'Battle of Alberta'. Although the shots (23-23) would indicate a fair game, it was far from it.
[b]A few things from the game to note:[/b]
- Lee Stempniak was a monster, scoring 3 G, adding 1 A for a total of 4 points. He a...
Depth down the middle is a key ingredient to success in the NHL. The most consistent teams in the league over the past 5 years have definately benefitted from having a strong top 3 centreman in the top 9 scoring-line scheme.
Pitt: Crosby, Malkin, Staal
LA: Kopitar, Richards, Stoll
...
It's becoming more apparent everyday that the Chicago Blackhawks need to do something to bolster their depth on the blue line and for the team all around in a general sense. This sounds ridiculous (I second guess myself sometimes) when the hawks have 6 players with 10+ goals, but the most deceiving and most important stat in hockey isn't goals and assists, its plus/...
[b]It's NIEMI time!![/b]
What else can I say. Niemi put on a show during the game. Stopping Tanguay on a breakway not once, but twice - along with many other stellar saves. Don't take anything away from Kipper, as he played extremely well too. It was a battle of the goaltenders.
The first two periods of the game were rather equal and quite boring. The third period, ...
XxFLY3RSFAN48xX writes...
BIG TRADE RUMOURS BETWEEN TORONTO AND THE BLUE JACKETS
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I have been recieving phone calls over the past few weeks about the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets talking trade. Some of my sources say the Jackets and Leafs are coming to agreement soon, other sources say a deal will take place at the deadline. The Leafs apear to be after Jeff Carter, now the asking price will be high but Burke seems to be very intre...
[b][i]
If you missed the other sections of this 5 part series, follow the links below to catch up:
[url=http://bit.ly/z6opJG] Part 2 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/AedyZf] Part 3 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/yI5u6B] Part 4 [/url]
[url=http://bit.ly/zpmgaQ] Part 5 [/url] [/b][/i]
************************************************************
So, you want to be a contender?...
It is the time for the rumour mill to pump out all kinds of possible trades. Some plausible, others, insane!
As a Hab fan, I really believe that they need to make more changes. I also think that winning against Detroit could be detrimental to them in the long run. Geoff Molson, as much as he says he is hands off and he lets the hockey people run the operation, needs to...
So the All-Star draft is over and done with. Yes, Alfredson picked all Sens, Yes Chara picked all Bruins, and Yes the Sedins are going to play together. All of which could have been predicted by any of us who didn't take the time to watch the draft. Not many surprises came about last night. I think the biggest was that Rookie All-Star Colin Greening of the Sens is on "Team...
vowswithin writes...
BMO to the Hawks, could this be the first in a series?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[code][ # Comments]
[/code]
Brendan Morrison was just traded to the Chicago BlackHawks for prospect Brian Connelly who is a 5'10 and scored 52 points over the last 80 games. Morrison was a UFA this year and was not going to be resigned. With the number of forwards we have this was the best move since it gives him a chance to win a cup this year. One can only wonder if t...
RyanHolmerB writes...
Morrison to Chicago...Who is this Connelly kid anyways?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Morrison was traded tonight to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Brian Connelly, a name that surely no one has heard of.
After doing some research, and watching some footage, this Connelly kid is quite impressive. At only 5'10, he may not be as intimidating as some defensemen, however with 52 points in 80 games last season, and a AHL All-Star, who according to some...
RyanZabizewski writes...
After Game Blog Jan 31 Buffalo vs Montreal Update 11:39
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The "Habs" lost 3-1 to Buffalo Tuesday night. So do you want the bad news or the good news? How about both...
[b]Good News[/b]
Now it's hard for anything good coming out of that game but there was a couple things I liked.
[u]Carey Price [/u]
Played amazing tonight making 37 saves on 39 shots but once again overpaid players who can't score and lack of effort made us...
RyanHolmerB writes...
Flame's Lose a Tough one to Detroit : Post-Game Notes
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Flames' struggles for offensive production continued tonight, as they lost 3 - 1 to the Detroit Red Wings. A common theme since the beginning of the season, and for the past few seasons at that. The dump-and-chase system that Calgary has so long employed is stagnant, and has clearly not produced results.
Detroit outplayed Calgary in the first, and was up 1 - 0 headi...
mcefalu writes...
Hawks Can't Solve Schneider, Lose 3-2 in OT to Canucks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
It was one of those teeth-grinding, frustrating type of overtime losses. The kind of loss that creeps into your subconscious just as you wake up the following morning, not just as a player, but as a fan.
The Chicago Blackhawks played well enough to decisively come away with two points against their heated rivals, the Vancouver Canucks. However, one major road-block stoo...
If you were to ask around for opinions about Pierre Gauthier, general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, most of the Habs faithful fans would probably sing you a couple of lines from the old classic by Ray Charles: [i]“Hit the road Jack and don’t you come back no more, no more, no more, no more”[/i]. So in the spirit of fun, let’s take a look at the many songs of...
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...
There are a lot of rumors surrounding who the Leafs will potentially target in a trade, and it seems lately that Burke is going to make a trade any day. According to TSN's Darren Dreger, Jeff Carter is "100% available", so the last week has featured dozens of articles and blogs about that possibility, and the consensus seems to be that Jeff Carter is an over-ra...
Canucks Hitting Snooze
Posted by BrowntoBure, Feb 06, 2012 · 35 views
We're just now entering what are known as 'the dog days' of the NHL season, but for the Vancouver Canucks it seems to have started much earlier this year.
At first glance at the standings you may think that is just a typical Vancouverite looking for something to complain about, but when...
When will the losing in this stupid city end? They had their chances to end the 13 game losing streak in Anaheim but once again lost to the Ducks. Make it 14 and counting. They needed the points...
Read more here:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/flames-dont-disneyland
Newman
There are not many words to describe the frustration that last nights game brought upon me. I've been one of the biggest advocates of not only Feaster, but Sutter. I've defended them countless times. The game in Anaheim was the tipping point for me.
Although Calgary did come back and tie it - it was one of the worst games I've seen them play in a long time. With the exc...
For the Chicago Blackhawks, it gets to a point when the same old excuses become more than tiresome cliches:
"The *insert excuse here* just didn't get it done tonight."
Despite Chicago maintaining a 2-2 tie heading into the third period, David Jones had a three point night and Paul Stastny put up two assists as Colorado skated away with a 5-2 win over the Blackhawks.
...
Part two of revisiting some of the recent bigger deals in the NHL involves the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Philadelphia Flyers. They got together on one of the bigger deals that happened in the summer of 2011:
[img]http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/images/photos/001/404/296/129037043_crop_650x440.jpg?1318893095[/img]
[img]http://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/...
I read a brief "what if" that suggested Jeff Carter might get traded for Alex Semin.
There are virtually NO RUMORS to support this particular trade...at least that I have seen or heard.
All that we know for sure is that both players have been mentioned as available.
I thought about this for about 2 minutes and realized this is the no-brainer trade that HAS to be m...
Ever since the Canucks drafted Henrik and Daniel Sedin in the 1999 entry draft, people knew that then GM Brian Burke had drafted two kids who were one day gonna be special players in this league offensively, and that they were. In the first few years of their NHL careers, fans, media and NHL analysts across North America weren't seeing what was previously advertised. In th...
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Still Looking to Right Sinking Ship in Phoenix
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It seems like eons since the Chicago Blackhawks have won a game, particularly on the road. They will hope to add a much needed two points to their total in the standings tonight when they're hosted by the Phoenix Coyotes.
After last night's defeat to the San Jose Sharks, the Blackhawks are now winless in their last seven games. A slump such as this comes at possibly the...
The Chicago Blackhawks will face one of the biggest tests of the final third of the regular season when they visit the best team in the Eastern Conference at Madison Square Garden to face the New York Rangers.
This will be the first of two meetings between the teams this season. The last time the clubs faced each other, the Rangers finished off the Hawks 3-2 at the Gard...
A huge late goal by Cammalleri last night earned the Flames a much needed point. Come to TCL-West to read more:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/cammalleri-ties-it-late-flames-get-point
Newman
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Look to Maintain Dominance Over Blue Jackets
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The dreaded nine-game losing streak endured by a severely frustrated Chicago Blackhawks team came to an end on Thursday night with a victory over the best team in the Eastern Conference, the New York Rangers.
Chicago now prepares to avoid a similar fate tomorrow afternoon when they are hosted by the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets. This will be the fifth of six meetings bet...
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...
The Chicago Blackhawks have rebounded nicely after losing nine straight games, some of those to division opponents, and added a solid team effort against their rivals to the south by defeating the Blues 3-1 at the United Center.
There was no magical formula consumed by the Hawks a la "Space Jam" to bring about this recent successful play - pretty simply, the Blackhawks'...
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...
[img:right]http://media.mlive.com/redwings_impact/photo/10581756-large.jpg[/img]
Detroit, who has been unbeatable at home since December took the reigns to the top spot in this week's NHL Power Rankings. They dethroned the New York Rangers who continue to win but aren't dominating like that team from Hockeytown. The Red Wings broke the NHL single season record of most c...
The Flames moved into a playoff spot in Saturday for the first time all season with a 1-0 shutout win. Kipper continues to play out of his mind but the PP is all of a sudden stuck in neutral. What gives? Read more here:
http://west.thecheckingline.com/blog/derrick-newman/calgary-flames/flames-playoff-spot-pp-struggling
Newman
The world of hockey rumors and trades is a fascinating one.
Today, so many rumors circulate in cyberspace that...
"It's hard to recognize the real thing
It comes along once in a while
Like a rare and precious metal beneath a ton of rock
It takes some time and trouble to separate from the stock
You sometimes have to listen to a lot of useless talk" *
When I fir...
There is no denying the ability of Alex Ovechkin. Size, speed, power, he has all those things. There is one thing missing from the Great 8's game.
Character.
With the struggles of this team over the course of this season, it has become woefully apparent that Ovechkin is not exactly what you would call a team player. He is not doing the things that brings you the a...
Canadiens' fans worldwide hang and hide their heads in shame as the [i]Circ du Gauthier[/i] continues to embaress our proud organization. There is no doubt that the bottom has dropped out of whatever plan and rebuild Andre Savard had started and we have in fact returned to the days of Houle the Fool and Mario Trembley blindly leading the team through a mine field.
Once...
On a night when three of their division rivals played a game, the Chicago Blackhawks were the only team in their division that ended the evening without a point.
Steve Ott, Michael Ryder and Loui Eriksson each tallied for the Dallas Stars, as they downed the Blackhawks 3-1 at the United Center tonight.
Chicago started off slow in the first period, allowing Dallas t...
[img]http://www.thesenatereform.ca/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/MikeRichardsJeffCarter.jpg[/img]
Thursday evening Jeff Carter was reunited with his former teammate and captain Mike Richards as the LA Kings made the move to acquire his services.
[i]LA sent defensemen Jack Johnson and a conditional first round pick to Columbus (2012 or 2013) for Jeff Carter. [/i]
The...
A lot of speculation out there about two good right wingers. Well some call Nash a left winger, but on NHL.com, he's a right winger. I figured LA was going to trade Brown right away as soon as they got Richards, but they kept him... I didn't understand why they dealt for another captain type player, and now that their offense is leashed, they're starting to see it themse...
The Blackhawks four game winning streak came to an end on Thursday night when they provided the Dallas Stars with an opportunity to rally late in the third period and skated away with a much needed two points by both teams.
Chicago looks to regroup and get back on the winning track when they travel to Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon to face a recently offensively-impr...
Jeff Carter was a stud in Philly with multi 30 plus goal seasons. To this day I still think the Flyers shot themselves in the foot getting rid of Richards and Carter. Getting Jeff Carter for Jack Johnson and a pick is a steal. Two years ago if the Kings ever tried to go after Carter while he was with the Flyers, they would have had to pay a steep price for the 30 goal scor...
Cam Neely played hockey with the Ridge Meadows Hockey Association for the majority of his minor career and has been named to the Maple Ridge honorable people list. After a stellar season with the Portland Winter Hawks of the Western Hockey League in which he led the team to the Memorial Cup Championship, he was drafted by the Vancouver Canucks ninth overall in the 1983 ent...
I’ve thought about this long and hard since I heard of the 2 trades that Buffalo has made. After some careful consideration, and looking at all of the stats, I’m not entirely sold on the deals that Buffalo has made. I’ll break it down to the two trades that were made today.
[b]Gaustad to Nashville[/b]
We all accepted this. I’m actually shocked that the Sabre...
Saturday, 06.14.2008 / 11:17 PM / 2008 Draft
Brampton Battalion center Cody Hodgson already is a student of the game of hockey. But he got a master's-level education during the Under-18 World Championships in April when he suited up for Team Canada at the event.
With long-time NHL coach Pat Quinn serving as professor, Hodgson earned high honors. As team captain, he l...
The Habs are in Tampa for a really important game tonight. The Bolts are only six points back of 8th place and, with their new look defense, you can bet they'll be ready to go. It should be a really exciting tilt as you know these two teams always get the best out of each other.
[b]There's a game preview blog over at TB HB![/b]
[url]http://tblhockeybuzz.blogspot....
Gunner Staal writes...
From apathy to ecstasy. A Sabres deadline day in review.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img] http://welcometothe716.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/darcy-regier.jpg[/img]
Trade deadline day. One of two days a year where people in the hockey community will actually alter their work and education schedules to take in all the happenings on TSN, NHL Network, and Twitter. A big day from a fans perspective to get something done, anything. Trade deadline day is...
By adding Johnny Oduya to the Blackhawks' roster, Stan Bowman increased the defensive depth of this team. That's exactly what he said he wanted to do heading into the trade deadline. While I personally don't think that Oduya was number 1, or even number 2, on the Hawks' list of desirable defensemen, it is an improvement to what they previously had on the NHL roster. Howeve...
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...
- The whole Rick Nash saga played out about as I expected, although it may not be for exactly the reasons I described here [url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=6464&post_id=13064[/url]. I honestly think that Scott Howson really had no intention of dealing Nash unless someone was going to give up the house...and no one did. He did get a fair return for Jeff Carter...
ShudBeFamous writes...
Habs future: Current roster and who they should draft
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First off, I do not beleive montreal needs to draft a Defencemen this upcoming draft, so I am writing this blog as if they will be drafting one of the top 4 offencive prospects that could go in the top 5 in Pittsburgh this June.
1. Nail Yakupov (5'11, 189lbs) - W - Sarnia Sting - 37GP/30G/35A/65PTS/26PIM
2. Mikhail Grigorenko (6'3, 200lbs) - C - Quebec Remparts - 57GP/...
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...
I’ll be 100% honest here, I didn’t really have high hopes for the Sabres as they headed towards the West Coast. I didn’t really expect Buffalo to do too well, and kind of figured that the playoff hunt was going to get a lot more difficult come Monday.
HOLY $^#$ AM I GLAD TO BE WRONG!!!!
I mean, who honestly saw this coming? I wasn’t as shocked with the wins ...
I can already imagine the comments I will get on this piece, but regardless what I am told, I need to document my stance on this (as well as put this on record for when the prediction comes true :)).
Jonas Gustavsson has been under some serious heat from the moment he was signed by the Blue and White. Thought of as the soon-to-be goaltending saviour of the franchise, w...
At a point in time when points matter most in the standings, the Chicago Blackhawks were unable to match the work ethic and effort in a 5-1 loss to their division rivals, the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center tonight.
The Blackhawks didn't do themselves any favors by allowing the Blues to skate circles around them for sixty minutes and leaving their goaltender, R...
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...
[b]Welcome to another blog by Aarif Deen. For more blogs, and EVERYTHING HOCKEY 24/7, follow me on twitter @NHLAarifDeenRep. Enjoy the read![/b]
Well here we are fellas. It has been eight years to the day Todd Bertuzzi shocked the entire hockey world by pulling off one of, if not, the biggest cheap-shot in the history of the game. Young, promising, gritty forward St...
It's difficult to remember that it's understandable for a team to lose an important game against a significant divisional opponent at this point in the regular season, as everyone is vying for playoff position and overall points in the standings.
What might be more disconcerting is who the loss are coming against. The Blackhawks previous dismantling at the hand of 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 0
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...
After putting in a grind-it-out effort against one of the league's top teams to down the New York Rangers 4-3 on Friday night, the Chicago Blackhawks will look to build off said effort when they host the Los Angeles Kings tonight at the United Center.
It's hard to believe that the Blackhawks have only scored two goals in three games against LA this year, and not since ...
[b]Follow me on Twitter for prospects news, analysis and Calgary Flames updates @RyanHB
[/b]
In this edition of my blog, I will look at a Calgary Flames' prospect, in Michael Ferland.
Over the past couple of years I've been watching Ferland play, and develop into the player he is today. I will go over his strengths, weaknesses and projected placement- in a precursor ...
The Chicago Blackhawks did just about everything necessary tonight to pad their sixth place playoff spot lead with another two points, while narrowing the gap between themselves and their division rivals, the Nashville Predators, who sit just two points ahead in the Western Conference race.
The Blackhawks played a consistent and focused hockey game en route to their 5-...
Let's face it - this year's crop of free agents can be described as underwhelming ... at best. Brad Richards is really the only big name in the class and given the amount of teams reportedly in the running for the pivot, he'll likely fetch around $8 million per season mark and will get a long-term deal. That kind of contract doses cold water on the thought the club may tak...
Let's face it - this year's crop of free agents can be described as underwhelming ... at best. Brad Richards is really the only big name in the class and given the amount of teams reportedly in the running for the pivot, he'll likely fetch around $8 million per season mark and will get a long-term deal. That kind of contract doses cold water on the thought the club may tak...
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Look for Fourth Straight Win Against Blue Jackets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After winning three games in a row led by strong goaltending by netminder Corey Crawford, the Chicago Blackhawks look to capture their fourth straight victory when they travel to Columbus and attempt to maintain their dominance over a lowly Blue Jackets team.
This will be the Chicago Blackhawks' sixth meeting with the Blue Jackets this season, with Chicago capturing th...
Jay Feaster's hands were tied.
The Flames General Manager tried every possible angle to get defenceman Tim Erixon inked to an entry-level deal but as the 5:00 PM ET deadline crept closer, it became apparent there was nothing he could do to convince the 20 year-old to sign on.
If no deal was able to be made, Erixon would be put back into the NHL Entry Draft this mont...
No I’m not talking about tonights game. Another solid effort tonight from the Sabres. It’s good to see that they aren’t laying over and dying and are playing like they want to make it to the playoffs.
I’m glad that Hodgson is starting to find his way in Buffalo. 2 great goals from him tonight. Very impressive to see him starting to play to his potential. Miller...
It appears as though the Chicago Blackhawks are peaking at just the right time.
Chicago's 2-1 overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks on Andrew Shaw's game-winning goal tonight marked their fifth win in a row, improving their record to 8-1-1 in their last ten games.
With the victory, the Blackhawks are now tied in points with Nashville for fifth place in the Western ...
Buffalo has finally done it. They are finally in a position that a lot of us would like to see them in. They’re in that spot that I have been anxious about them getting into. With 5 games left in the season, Buffalo is now in charge.
As of right now, Buffalo is in complete control over whether they make the playoffs. Buffalo and Washington each have 5 games left. Buf...
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Inch Closer to Playoff Spot with Win Over Blues
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Blackhawks made another important stride towards claiming a playoff spot tonight with their 4-3 shootout win over the St. Louis Blues at the United Center.
Bryan Bickell, Andrew Brunette and Patrick Sharp scored in regulation and Dave Bolland's shootout tally provided the game winner for Chicago over their division rivals. Corey Crawford made 20 saves for the Black...
As March nears it's end, the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves in a familiar spot in the standings; near the bottom. The Leafs, who haven't made the playoffs since before the lockout, have been floundering in recent years, and seem no closer to postseason success now then they did at this time last year, or even two years ago. The one difference between this year and the...
When the Penguins face the Sabres tonight (3/30/2012), there's a lot on the line. And due to a couple of stinkers against the Islanders, the Penguins have more at stake in this game than some may realize.
For the Sabres, a win keeps them in the 8th playoff spot in the East (at least) and moves them 2 points ahead of the Capitals with both teams having 4 games remaining...
Tuesday night, playoff fever had hit Buffalo. Buffalo didn’t just beat the Capitals, they ran them over with a 5-1 win. Buffalo was in sole possession of 8th place, 2 points up on the Caps, with 5 games left for both teams. Buffalo was in control, and just had to keep playing solid hockey to get into the playoffs.
The Caps won on Thursday, making it clear that Buffal...
Holy cow. I mean, who saw this happening after the 1st period?? What a game and what a motivation booster for the Sabres going into the final 2 games.
After the first period, down 3-0. I had Buffalo pegged for going down, but then after 2 quick ones for the Sabres, I started to think that they had another chance. Then, Buffalo went to sleep, Leaf’s capitalized again,...
I’m still sticking to the fact that Buffalo didn’t really want to make it this year. Look at the effort tonight, didn’t really strike you as a team that was playing desperate hockey, did it?
I waited to write this until the end of the Capitals game. It’s done, it’s over. The playoff race goes to Florida and Washington. Buffalo can’t catch either team now. Th...
Now that my team has been eliminated from the playoffs (as predicted) I can look at the playoffs objectively. Here's my take on the quarterfinal match ups in this years NHL playoffs.
I'm writing on this site, click on the link below to read the whole article.
http://betweenthebenches.com/?p=1103
It seems that I am the only Blue and White fan that actually enjoyed the presser this afternoon. Over the past week I have been listening to what Leaf fans wanted Burke to say, versus what they expected him to say. I full out believe that it didn’t matter what was said by the Leaf’s GM and that the failure of the season was enough to simply cast aside anything meaningf...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
I know most people are picking the Kings to upset Vancouver in the first round. It's a popular pick based off of the fact that Jonathan Quick is a Vezina candidate and single-handedly drove the Kings to the playoffs. But is it realistic? Vancouver IS the President's Trophy winners (two years in a row mind), earning it in the last game of the season with a convincing win in...
[b]The best way to build a contender is through the draft so we'll start here.[/b]
Habs have the #3 pick, it's simple if he is available, draft Alex Galchenyuk. We need wingers on fwd more than anything but that doesn't matter Gally is a game changer, they won`t have many chances at a player like this.
[b]Sort out the contract mess[/b]
Re-sign Price at a reasonabl...
It's been a little surprising how many explanations of why the Canucks lost game 1 are tinged with just a little disrespect towards the LA Kings.
A lot is said of what the Canucks DIDN'T do as opposed to what the Kings DID do. Well let me tell you one thing. The Kings had a far greater impact on game 1 than just that the Canucks didn't bring enough emotion and played ba...
Nascar........... I cold not care even a little but about... but car crashed.... OOOHHH... let let at my PVR.
This is a time honoured sentiment. Violence, usually mindless, will get our attention faster than a hole in one, an honest QB sack and even that most exciting play in hockey.... the.... the... what was it again? Penalty Shot?
So my point is: How do Ame...
The two obvious choices to meet in the cup finals this year were, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Vancouver Canucks (sorry TSN, the monkey is looking way better now). Yet, both are less than 24 hours away from a trip to the golf course and to be quite honestly they deserve to be. Both team have 3 glaring reasons why they are now looking like the lower seed in their series'...
Rocky_Vaughn writes...
Can We Get Some Decent Announcers For The Playoffs?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Is it just me or is this one of the worst years for biased play-by-play and colour commentary? I understand that each team has their own announcer, whether on TV or on radio, for local broadcasts. What I'm talking about is the people doing nationally televised games on CBC , NBC, etc. Should these games not be called evenly for the benefit of all fans and not just fans ...
The Roberto Luongo era is coming to an end in Vancouver. Everything that has transpired over the past few days would indicate that Roberto Luongo is on his way out of Vancouver. Rewind the clock just two or three years ago and this notion would have been unthinkable. Now, with Cory Schneider all but dominating the Canucks’ crease, Roberto Luongo finds himself at a crossr...
Colin Dambrauskas writes...
My thoughts on Luongo and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
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...
Wow, that was an exciting first round with numerous upsets, and plenty of teams having some very close calls over the past 2 weeks. Like you, I’m surprised about several of the teams that are still alive and kicking in the NHL playoffs. Here’s my take on the 2nd round, and predictions as to who is moving on to the Conference Finals.
http://betweenthebenches.com/?p...
there hasn't been a flames blog in awhile beside the vancouver blogger. So i decided to take a chance and voice my opinion on the change Calgary should do.
Its time to do something in calgary because it has not work for the past five seasons. Calgary has two big asset in captain Jarome Iginla and goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff.
Kipper would be easier to trade because there ...
Marc Bergevin has been announced as the new GM of the Montreal Canadiens. As tough a job as GM of the Habs is, he comes at the right time. Following Gauthier's reign makes for a chance to look great by comparison. Bergevin played nearly 1200 games in the NHL and followed up his playing career with a long stint in Chicago Blackhawks management. A team that had tremendous su...
We would all rather be watching our Habs players play in the playoffs right now, but we can get a look at a few of them over the next couple of weeks in the World Championships. Although if the Habs were to lose a game in triple overtime like the Caps did last night I may have had a heart attack. The Canadiens will be sending four players over to Finland and Sweden for thi...
Eklund recently posted a blog indicating that the rumors of Roberto Luongo to Tampa Bay are heating up and mentioned that the potential deal could be a Luongo for Lecavalier swap. The VL4/RL1 rumblings have been around for a few years now. Since the departure of Khabibulin, the Lightning have really struggled in the goaltending category. Roberto Luongo’s history in Flori...
The Cole Audesirk 2012 Flyers Offseason Plan.
1. Letting Matt Carle Walk. : He is an UFA, who will be looking for a raise off of his current contract of about $3.5 million, plus his lackluster playoff play has left me wanting him to leave.
2. Let Pavel Kubina Walk. : Temporary aging defenseman, not needed in the long run.
3. Bury Andreas Lilja in the minors/Buy his co...
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...
Perhaps the biggest decision to be made by Marc Bergevin this summer will be what to pay current restricted free agents and future franchise cornerstones Carey Price and P.K. Subban. Both will demand huge raises from their current salaries, but with future CBA and salary cap uncertainty it is important to get them signed to the most modest deals possible. A year from now D...
[b]For everything hockey 24/7 follow me on TWITTER @DailyNHLGrind[/b]
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Well here’s something each and every single one of us hockey fans have been aware of all season long. Brendan Shanahan—the head disciplinarian o...
There is a rumor circulating this morning that Larry Robinson would welcome a return to Montreal as an assistant coach. According to an article in the Toronto Sun, Robinson’s agent Don Cape says Larry would return to the Habs organization because he knows Marc Bergevin and the Molson family well and he believes the right people are in place in this organization. It is ni...
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 my local home team out of the playoffs after a mostly successful season, you can understand how attention has turned to the completed sale of the team and toward potential moves the team may make for next season. There have been many articles written about the financial struggles and questionable long-term profitability of teams like the Blues and Coyotes. Articles ...
The 94th edition of the Memorial Cup featuring the best Junior hockey teams in Canada, begins Friday in Shawinigan. The Montreal Canadiens will be well represented with four of their prospects taking part in the premier event hosted by Shawinigan. The Habs two most recent first round picks will both be competing, Nathan Beaulieu for the Quebec League champion and defending...
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...
Which is the greatest dynasty team in the history of the NHL? Is it the Edmonton Oilers of the late 80's? The Canadiens of, well, pick a decade other than the one we're in, or was it the Islanders of the early 80's? Another team perhaps?
I guess my point is that in the history of the NHL, there have been teams which have succeed for prolonged periods of time. And I'm no...
There is a #91 Tavares Jersey that is framed and hung on Eric Murphy's office wall on the set of HBO's "Entourage." It's ironic, considering the show had it's final season on HBO last year and the Islanders might not be far behind.
In August 2011, a referendum which would have allowed the Islanders to borrow up to $400 million to modernize the Nassau Coliseum failed in...
Asset management is the top priority for every General Manager in hockey. Getting something for players you move keeps a franchise afloat, however getting nothing for an asset can set a franchise into ruin. Unfortunately for the Montreal Canadiens, Pierre Gauthier got a whole lot of nothing for many of his assets.
In today’s era of free agency, salary caps and money h...
The Vancouver Canucks need to trade Roberto Luongo, right? He's old, washed up, mentally unstable, carries a contract until infinity, and guess what, Cory Schneider is right there, banging on the door (although some would argue that it is Luongo who is banging on Schneider's door now). Luongo out, Schneider in equals one cup to soothe the rioters, right?
Wrong. Cory Sch...
-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 ...
The Lethbridge Hurricanes for those who do not know is a Junior Hockey league team that plays in the Central Division of the Western Hockey League. This Division includes other such teams as the Red Deer Rebels, Calgary Hitmen, Kootney Ice, Edmonton Oil Kings and the Medicine Hat Tigers. All of these teams are yearly competators who rarely rebuild and constantly compete fo...
The 2006 NHL Draft will be remembered for the same reasons most drafts are, the superstars at the top, the first round busts and the diamonds in the rough such as 6th rounder Andrew Macdonald who was picked by the New York Islanders. Taking place in Vancouver, most Canucks fans will recall it as the day they finally got their franchise goaltender. New ‘Nucks GM Mike Gill...
1. Despite what a lot of people seem to be thinking about what will happen if the Oilers get a second line centre at the draft and thus free up Sam Gagner for trade, the Leafs should steer clear of him. If the Leafs were to land him, he's projected as the number one centre, and adding to that, he's a Toronto boy, and we all know how Brian Burke loves local boys (sarcasm). ...
The 2014 Olympics in Sochi will be a new turning point for Canadian professional hockey. A changing of the guards if you will. The team which represented Canada in Vancouver, while praised as one of the best Canadian national teams ever brought together for one event, was old. The captain of that team, Scott Niedermeyer, is gone, and other player's who played serious minut...
Devils scored a fluky one against the LA Kings to tie up game 1 in the 2nd period of the Stanley Cup Finals, and now it's in intermission and i've got an itchin' to write a blog.
On HockeyBuzz's homepage I came across another blogger's article on Team Canada at the Sochi Olympics. Everyone has a right to their opinion, and while i disagreed with my fellow blogger, s/he ...
Allow me to set the scene for you. It is the second round of the 2002 Playoffs, the 8th seeded Montreal Canadiens have already upset the best team in the Eastern Conference in a six game battle against the rival Boston Bruins. They are now at home in game four of the second round series against the Carolina Hurricanes, already up 2-1 in the best of seven series and winning...
mochoson writes...
Crowded Creases; Several Young Goalies Likely on the Move
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It is often said that the most important position in sports is that of the goal-tender. While not every sport has a goal-tending position, you’d be hard pressed to find a player, coach, or member of management in sport’s like hockey and soccer that would disagree with the above. In the NHL, General Managers looking to build their team from the ground-up will agree that...
Phenom writes...
Phenom's Phunny Photos #2 - The (High) Definition of Karma
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Hey HockeyBuzzards,
I'm back with the second instalment of Phenom's Phunny Photos, my humble attempt to embrace the lighter side of the sport we love amidst all the bantering and heated discussions leading up to the Draft and free agency.
In January of this year, Boston Bruins goalie Tim Thomas made headlines when he decided to decline an invitation by U.S. Preside...
Honestly, I couldn't think of a better story for the 2012 NHL season. An 8th place team barely makes the playoffs after having an abysmal year were they couldn't score to save their lives. It took a head coach change, a huge trade and a lot of luck to even accomplish this. And yet, here we are, congratulating the LA Kings! It's quite amazing really, I had them picked every...
Trevor Timmins took over as Montreal’s Director of Player Development at the beginning of the 2002-03 season. His main responsibility is drafting and of course developing the next wave of Montreal Canadiens. The most important piece of business for Timmins to take care of every year is the NHL Draft. The upcoming draft in Pittsburgh will be his tenth as the mastermind be...
Back in February, I wrote a blog about Jeff Carter being traded to the Kings and how I felt it was a huge steal for Los Angeles. Carter in any other year would have been tough to trade for with out having to give up more players/prospects, but the Kings hit perfect timing in grabbing him from a team (Columbus) who wanted nothing more to do with him. I thought Carter would ...
Hello, this is my first blog at Hockeybuzz (obviously) and I should introduce myself. I go by Gator26 (Gator was my highschool handle) and I adore the Habs. Ever since child birth, I've seemed to enjoy to watch them play (maybe not last season) but nonetheless, they still have my heart. Recently just got ink'd actually, the logo is now part of my body. Sounds odd when I sa...
Kenny_Mac writes...
What Type of Player Habs Can Expect With 3rd Overall Pick
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In three short days Montreal will finally reveal who they will choose with the third overall pick in this year’s draft in Pittsburgh. To find out what can be expected of someone selected so high I took a look back and ranked the last 20 players to be picked at number three. (Technically the last 22 players but I didn’t include the 2 most recent, Jonathon Huberdeau and ...
The Philadelphia Flyers' defense was an obvious fault in their game, leading to their subsequent elimination by the New Jersey Devils in 5 games in the Conference Semi-Finals. This was a problem during the season, however it was masked by their winning ways, as well as the inconsistent play of goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov. During the season, the defense would bail him out of ...
[b]The Mike Ribeiro trade is a strange situation. Not because it was a surprise or because it was a bad trade for either team.[/b]
It's a strange sitaution simply for the reasons that it had to happen. Normally a team makes a trade because they think they can make their team better through it. Whether that means immediately or down the road during a rebuild. The Dalla...
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...
Many of you flames fans out there including myself, are feeling very weary about managements goals that are said and un-said. Jay is a great hockey man, and may or may not have drafted the next Nieuwendyk, we'll just have to wait. Now clearly stuff needs to happen before on and after July first, beginning with the trade of failure Jay Bouwmeester. Jay hasn't even come clos...
Many of you flames fans out there including myself, are feeling very weary about managements goals that are said and un-said. Jay is a great hockey man, and may or may not have drafted the next Nieuwendyk, we'll just have to wait. Now clearly stuff needs to happen before on and after July first, beginning with the trade of failure Jay Bouwmeester. Jay hasn't even come clos...
Nail Yakupov was simply the guy Edmonton HAD to take with the first overall pick. He was unanimously ranked number one in all the ratings and the Oilers did not pass up the future start.
The Russian born winger dishes out passes that make him look like Claude Giroux and plays at a 1.5 point per game pace stocking up about even totals in goals and assists (always favori...
“We want the cup” rained down on the Madison Square Garden ice for the final ten minutes of game seven of the Eastern Conference semi finals.
Roman Hamrlik would steal Henrik Lundqvist’s shut out, but while eager fans were hanging on the edge of their section trying not to fall from anticipation, Dennis Wideman was parked on the bench.
Playing a season-low 15:1...
You guys are hilarious. The page I was banned on had two posters calling each other idiots and retards, but I got banned for saying lol @ Flames.
lol @ you.
You guys are hilarious. The page I was banned on had two posters calling each other idiots and retards, but I got banned for saying lol @ Flames.
lol @ you.
rgreco40 writes...
Flames Bring Back Sarich Refusing to Admit the Need to Rebui
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Flames Bring Back Sarich Refusing to Admit the Need to Rebuild
Cory Sarich agreed to a two-year, two million dollar contract to return to the Calgary Flames this morning.
Bringing Sarich back puts some more size at the blue line, but it shows Calgary’s lack of commitment to rebuilding.
They lost prized Swedish defender Tim Erixon to the Rangers in the Scott Gome...
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 ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
The Blues need someone to pair up with pietrangelo. And the Blues as you remember from the playoffs petro went down, no one was there to carry the load.. Shattenkirk could not handle it by himself. Figuring that Jason Garrison signed 6 years 4.7/year. Figuring carle will recieve 4 years about 4.9/ year.. Now carle will most likely wait till suter goes. The blues do have ...
First of all Bergevin addressed one of the biggest needs the Canadiens have had for the last few years and that is team toughness. Over the last two years the only guys willing to stand up for their teammates was White, Moen and Staubitz. Even though these guys are gamers they did not put a lot of fear in opposing players, and the other teams would run around which has c...
First of all Bergevin addressed one of the biggest needs the Canadiens have had for the last few years and that is team toughness. Over the last two years the only guys willing to stand up for their teammates was White, Moen and Staubitz. Even though these guys are gamers they did not put a lot of fear in opposing players, and the other teams would run around which has c...
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 ...
mcefalu writes...
Bowman, Hawks Look to Move On After Parise/Suter Rejection
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Despite receiving the cold shoulder from top NHL free agents forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter, Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman, like several other rejected general managers, is optimistic he can continue to improve the Chicago Blackhawks in other ways.
Although this summer's pool of free agent talent is somewhat shallow by typical standards, there are still quit...
So far this summer, we have seen the Canadiens take some steps to make the team a lot tougher to play against now, and possibly one of the contenders in the East starting in 2 or 3 years. Here is what I think of the signings and what the depth chart will look like for the Canadiens as it stands right now.
Brandon Prust-
I absolutely love this signing. This was an abso...
PensSkinny writes...
Exploring the Possibility of a Semin/Penguins Marriage
Posted Friday | Comments 0
By now, I'm sure that you all have heard that Zach Parise & Ryan Suter chose the Minnesota Wild. And to further complicate things for the Pens, they allowed Steve "Sully" Sullivan to walk away, and sign a one year deal in Phoenix. This certainly leaves Ray Shero in quite the predicament, as he needs to find a top-6 winger to play alongside Sidney Crosby.
A lo...
After a busy off-season last summer, the Washington Capitals have had a relatively quiet summer in 2012. With the strong possibility of losing Alexander Semin to free agency, many fans were expecting GM George McPhee to make a big more or two and sign some high-profile free agents to address glaring needs. I'm sure Jack Hillen and Joey Crabb are good guys, but they are cer...
[img]http://img.deniksport.cz/img/2/article/416977_sport-hokej-extraliga-slavia-sparta-cervenka-crop-crop-crop.jpg[/img]
There has been a lot of talk about Roman Cervenka and questions as to what he was offered in his contract and what it actually means to the team and cap in real world dollars. The following is my attempt to explain and debunk it.
Roman Cervenka w...
First off, on behalf of all of the province of Vancouver I apologize for the lackluster effort put forth by the Canucks in refusing to win 16 straight games to win their first Stanley Cup for the third time. We can only blame Roberto Luongo for so long for failing to win the cup in 012, 94, or 82 where i heard he actually [i]didn't even watch one game[/i] of the FINALS b...
Montreal fans have been talking about next year since before the calendar flipped to 2012. With the draft and opening frenzy of free agency behind us, it is finally time everyone in the NHL starts to focus on next year. Obviously, the focus of the Canadiens is to climb out of the cellar of the Eastern Conference. The best way to do this is to realize what landed them in th...
With most of the big guns of the free agency class spoken for nearly two weeks in to the frenzy, the Habs are left still looking to add a few goals to next year’s opening night roster. What started out as a relatively weak UFA class has been watered down considerably but a few interesting options still remain for the Canadiens. Let’s take a look at the top 5 offensive ...
Now I know the lean on Shane Doan is either in Phoenix or some way out there East Coast team (or for some of you, right in your backyard home team or favorite). The truth is right next Richards and Carter on the Kings 1A line is where he fits best.
Three reasons -
1. It is here on the westside of things, not far from where he has been and easy to move the family 400 ...
Scoutski writes...
Calgary Flames: Burning Bright or Being Snuffed Out? (1/7)
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Jay Feaster has come under heavy scrutiny since taking over as “acting” general manager of the Calgary Flames on December 28th 2010, however questions of his direction and lack of stated strategy have fans feeling confused and unsure of where the Flames are headed. The major question then is “Are things getting better or worse for the Calgary Flames hockey club?”.
...
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...
This is my first blog so here goes nothin'
[b][u]Mike Gillis' Plan[/u][/b]
I just thought I would put this down on "paper" to see what the team would look like this year if Gillis had his way over the next few weeks so here goes:
SEDIN/SEDIN/BURROWS
BOOTH/KESLER/DOAN
HIGGINS/ARNOTT/RAYMOND OR HANSEN
LAPIERRE/BJUGSTAD/KASSIAN
GARRISON/EDLER
BIEKSA/HAMHUIS
T...
How can the Habs prepare for future success?
Heading into the 2012-2013 season a lot of uncertainty faces the Montreal Canadiens. The organizations fans would have you believe that they are a move or two away from contending for the cup. This however, is not the case.
After a disappointing basement finish, the organization needs to address several needs. The 2011-20...
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b]
We are now currently just a few days into the most horrifying month of the year for the entire hockey world. Seriously now, August definitely is the worst time to be a hockey fan. Free agency has die...
Reasons for optamism these days seem low sourrounding our lowly Canucks. Everything from the Luongo trade debates, the Doan "DECISION" and ofcourse the ongoing he said/ she said battle between Mike Gillis and the Ryan Kesler Party. Amongst all these and the somewhat obvious upcoming lock out, I'll try my best to brighten up your day with a few reasons to smile regarding ...
QuebecPride writes...
My Habs prospect rankings (20-16) and a few updates
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First off let's start with a few updates.
1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015.
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1
2)Looks like the Habs...
QuebecPride writes...
My Habs prospect rankings (20-16) and a few updates
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First off let's start with a few updates.
1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015.
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1
2)Looks like the Habs...
QuebecPride writes...
My Habs prospect rankings (20-16) and a few updates
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First off let's start with a few updates.
1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015.
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1
2)Looks like the Habs...
QuebecPride writes...
My Habs prospect rankings (20-16) and a few updates
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First off let's start with a few updates.
1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015.
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1
2)Looks like the Habs...
QuebecPride writes...
My Habs prospect rankings (20-16) and a few updates
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
First off let's start with a few updates.
1)Brandon Shea has officially been traded to the Remparts for a 3rd round pick in 2015.
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/sports/remparts/201208/01/01-4561527-brandon-shea-samene-a-quebec.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B13b_hockey-junior_1607706_section_POS1
2)Looks like the Habs...
Eric Mellin writes...
Washington Capitals: All Quiet On The Eastern Front
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Washington Capitals have been rather quiet in the last few weeks of this summer. They shot out of the cannon on Draft Day by acquiring centerman Mike Ribeiro from the Dallas Stars for winger/prospect Cody Eakin. Unlike last summer when General Manager George McPhee (GMGM) went on a spree with goaltender Tomas Vokoun, wingers Troy Brouwer and Joel Ward, centerman Je...
First of all I would like to respond to the posters who commented on my last blog. I tried to use the comments section but my posts showed up blank.
Hi guys, thanks for taking the time to read and comment on my blog.
@HopintheCordoba. Yeah, that pick caught a lot of people off guard including me. Even though ISS/CS etc. had Jankowski rated lower, Craig Button had hi...
Eric Mellin writes...
Alex Semin May or May Not Rock You Like A Hurricane
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The mystery surrounding Alex Semin's future in the NHL finally came to end when he signed a one year, $7M contract with the Carolina Hurricanes. There was much speculation that Semin was going to sign with either Pittsburg or Detroit, but neither team wanted to offer Semin a muli-year contract, which is something he sought, or anything over $5M. The Hurricanes jumped on th...
With the closing of the 2012 summer games comes the passing of the torch and the countdown to the winter olympics in Sochi 2014. With the winter olympics hockey fans will get to see the greatest hockey tournament every four four years. The NHL's best players representing their country vying for Olympic gold.
Being a canadian winning gold in mens ice hockey means everyth...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Countdown of Best/Worst Trades in Habs History: 10th Worst
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
To begin the feature of counting down the top ten best and top ten worst trades in modern day Habs history, I decided to begin with the worst and rotate from 10th worst to 10th best and count down simultaneously. This way, as was so often the case in Habs history, we will finish with the best ever.
On the eve of the 2006-07 season, Montreal GM Bob Gainey would manufactu...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Countdown of Best/Worst Trades in Habs History: 10th Best
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
To continue our countdown of best/worst trades in the modern era of the Habs in order to help us get through August and into next season, we reveal the 10th best trade made by the Habs since the expansion of 1967.
June 26th 1975, Montreal trades defenceman Greg Hubick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for center Doug Jarvis.
Sam Pollock was the General Manager of the Canadi...
I am one of the biggest hockey fans around, and I do believe the players and owners will get a deal done before shutting down for the whole season, however, I do think the season will be delayed, maybe halfway through October. I am with every hockey nut out there, and I will be very upset if there is no NHL this year.
Since we are on the subject, and the NHL lockout is...
cuppacoldtea writes...
Five Reasons to Look Forward to Losing a Year of Hockey
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Here are five positive things I will take away from a lockout, in descending order
5: The New Jersey Devils will save about 3 million dollars every two weeks in player's salaries. This should help them make their loan payments...seeing how four rounds of extra playoff revenue did not seem to to the job.
4: Vancouver have an extra year to work out a deal with Tor...
The ideology that Canadian players are responsible for the success of any given team is common. Farm-born Saskatchewan kids can elevate their game and play clutch hockey when it really matters. But do local boys offer any discernable advantage over American or European players to a teams success? That's what this blog is going to be about. I'm going to find out.
To star...
RobFlyers#1 writes...
Ranking Hockey Canada's Best (Part 2) Defence and Goalies
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
This is the second part of my rankings for Canada's best hockey players by position. I posted earlier my rankings for Canada's top 32 forwards and now it's time to rank the defense and the goalies going into the 2014 olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Canada has great depth on the blueline and in my opinion a changing of the guard so to speak. With Neidermayer retired and Chri...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Countdown of Best/Worst Trades in Habs History: 9th Best
Posted Monday | Comments 0
March 2, 2004, Montreal trades Josef Balej and a 2nd round pick in the 2004 draft to the New York Rangers for Alex Kovalev.
The 2003-04 season was a very typical one for the Canadiens of the time, struggling to score goals and fighting like dogs to reach a playoff position. Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey went shopping at the trade deadline and struck a deal with t...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Countdown of Best/Worst Trades in Habs History: 9th Worst
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Continuing our countdown of best and worst trades in Habs modern history, we have reached the 9th worst trade.
March 10, 1999: Montreal trades Mark Recchi to the Philadelphia Flyers for Dainius Zubrus and a 2nd round pick in the 1999 draft.
The 1998-99 season was a difficult one for the Montreal Canadiens. Struggling terribly to score goals and well on their way to m...
Just saw this from Canadian Press:
"A large section of the roof blew off the top of Montreal's Maurice Richard Arena on Thursday, apparently by the force of powerful winds.
Part of the roof, about the size of a couple of school buses, tumbled down the side of an exterior wall onto some trees. Officials did not report any injuries."
Well, I guess there is no way th...
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...
Here is the situation.
The powers that be have decided to suspend our game while they decide exactly how to divvy up OUR money. And we have been called the "Greatest fans in the world" for putting up with this garbage...again.
The only way these bozos will get the message is when we stop buying the product.
I'm appealing to Canadian hockey fans to boycott the pro...
The Newmarket Hurricanes would finally take part in their home opener of the 2012-2013 season yesterday afternoon after starting this year’s campaign with a 6 game road trip and finishing up with a record of 4-1-1 and picking up 9 out of a possible 12 points. The Hurricanes opponents yesterday afternoon were the Cobourg Cougars who had beaten Newmarket on the previous ro...
Tonight’s action saw the hometown Hurricanes square off against the East Divisions Whitby Fury. Newmarket had one thing on their mind and that was redemption for their 4-0 loss to the Fury back on the 11th of this month. Tonight’s starting goalies would be Matt Wintjes in his 8th consecutive start for the hometown Newmarket Hurricanes and Tyler Feaver for the visiting ...
After falling on Thursday to the Trenton Golden Hawks by a score of 3-2 the Hurricanes would go into this weekend looking to bounce back from their tough loss to the Hawks. Today’s action would see the Newmarket Hurricanes host former Hurricanes Matt Galati and Jeff Heard and their Pickering Panthers. Today’s starting goaltenders would be September Player of the Month ...
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...
andydrmm writes...
Amerks 6- Crunch 5 Season Opener from Blue Cross Arena
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After a little traffic delay on the I-490, my wife and I have made it home from the Amerks season opener vs the Syracuse Crunch. Needless to say, it was a great game, but there are a lot of concerns regarding the Amerks.
Due to the high amount of traffic coming to the arena (Thanks Gary, thanks for the lock out), we missed the first 3 minutes of the game. Corey Tropp st...
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...
Next up is the Washington Capitals Top 10 draft picks. The Caps have indeed made other draft picks besides Alex Ovechkin. Here are the Washington Capitals’ top draft picks since their first draft in 1974.
1. [b]Mike Gartner[/b] RW, 1st Round 1979, #4 overall
2. [b]Alexander Ovechkin[/b] LW, 1st Round 2004, #1 overall
3. [b]Scott Stevens[/b] D, 1st Round 1982, #5 ove...
If forced to describe Theoren Fleury in one sentence during his NHL career, one would likely use the words troubled, conflicted, gifted and of course, mouthy. Most fans, journalists, fellow players and management couldn't stand Theoren Fleury, particularly Rangers and Blackhawks fans/brass. But one has to wonder, if we knew about Fleury's problems then, would many still de...
CripplerJB writes...
Newmarket takes Game 1 in Battle of Younge Street 2012-2013
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Today’s action saw the Hurricanes take on their rivals the Aurora Tigers in game 1 of this season Battle of Younge Street. Today’s starting goalies were Brett Sinclair for the visiting Tigers and of course Matt Wintjes for Newmarket who today made his 12th start of this year’s campaign. Going into today’s action the North Division leading Canes would have only a 1 ...
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 used to be a member of this site about 2 years ago, but mostly it was to troll the heck out of Eklund (and I still do believe he pulls a lot of things out of his backside), and then I grew up.
The latest news on the Hockey Front has been the NHLPA wanting their Contracts to be "Made Whole", which from any standpoint it should be done like this. A lot of the GM's spent...
Instead of writing about the lockout, which seems to be the default for hockey journalists currently, I felt that I should write about the World Juniors, the most exciting annual IIHF event. So instead of versing in the prose of doom and gloom, I present to you my podium predictions for the 2012-2013 World Junior Championship, which will be held in Ufa, Russia.
1. Canad...
Ask and you shall receive, unless you are an NHL fan. Don’t pout yet hockey fans thanks to the wonderful time that is the World Junior Championship. A time, when the entire nation will hold its breath to watch a bunch of teenagers try and accomplish their Junior Hockey goal. As beautiful as this sounds it has not been enjoyable watching the red maple leaf on the ice ever...
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...
I have a bone to pick with the rules.
The situation rose again during the Canada-Slovak game the other day, where Canada had to kill off two five minute majors from trivial calls. Why rose again? Because NJ's season basically ended trying to kill a five minute boarding penalty.
Now when there's an illegal hit to the head, or a boarding, or a bad charging, I understa...
With the a 6-5 overtime loss to Russians, Canada's national junior team not only leaves Ufa with the disappointment of no gold medal, but also with the knowledge that they are the first Canadian team in fourteen years without a medal of any colour. That's a tough pill to swallow for anyone, let alone a bunch of teenagers who are faced with a level of expectation that most...
Here we go boys. The Flyers took to the ice yesterday at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees. I know this because I saw an interview with Claude Giroux (as you know my favorite player) on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com after the team’s Tuesday morning skate. Even though I am now a “blogger” my mom still will not let me skip school to watch the Flyers practice.
Giroux sai...
Here we go boys. The Flyers took to the ice yesterday at the Flyers Skate Zone in Voorhees. I know this because I saw an interview with Claude Giroux (as you know my favorite player) on PhiladelphiaFlyers.com after the team’s Tuesday morning skate. Even though I am now a “blogger” my mom still will not let me skip school to watch the Flyers practice.
Giroux sai...
When Joe Nieuwendyk took over the General Manager position for the Dallas Stars in May of 2009, he took over a team with a prospect pool so shallow it was more akin to a shower. The Tom Hicks era left the team with very few prospects of note and after 2008, the winning ways stopped and this became more evident with those curtains pulled back.
Now Joe is a few seasons...
How is it that there could be a player making so much money that he couldn’t play in the NHL, and needed to be sent to the minors, and at the same time there could be a player making so much money, that he couldn’t be sent to the minors, and needed to play in the NHL? Well, that’s essentially the description of the more than slightly odd circumstances that Wade Redde...
The lock-out is over, NHL hockey is back, one thing remains as it did before the lock-out, P.K. Subban is still un-signed. Should P.K. be signed at all costs?
P.K. Subban is one of the NHL`s biggest mouths, a taunter if you will, he is also one of the league`s best young defensemen, a good hitter, got better defensively as he replaced Andrei Markov for 65 games last y...
An already difficult situation in Vancouver may have become even more complicated over this past weekend. There has been a bright spotlight placed on the goal crease at the Canucks end of the rink, and everyone has been paying close attention to the "Luongo Situation". It was all supposed to be quite simple; Roberto Luongo was supposed to be traded as soon as the ink was d...
'Well game one in the record books in this shortened season and its like a Gomez free 2011-2012. Carey Price was fantastic, he made some unreal saves as he usually does but as we have seen far to many times in the past he was almost the lone bright spot. The top line was completely silent and the rest of the team barley showed up. Toronto played an alright game but Montrea...
1/21/13
Game Recap:
Maple Leafs 1 vs. Buffalo Sabres 2
Ryan Miller simply stole this one for the Buffalo Sabres. I was shocked to hear from the Toronto announcers that Miller had lost his six straight previous trips to Toronto. Miller played as if it were truly a January 21st division match up. Despite his superb play between the pipes, he was clearly beaten twice, bu...
Well that was much better. Again Carey Price was on top of his game, again a night with some highlight reel saves. The way this guy plays the puck is a part of his game that does not seem to get a lot of attention. Last nights game and in the game vs Toronto there was a play where he cleared that puck by shooting it at the glass by the blue line about a foot down. Tell me ...
Columbus should consider themselves very fortunate to leave Monday night’s home opener with even a point. If not for the stellar performance of Bobrovsky (again) the Wings might have won by three or four goals. But thanks to Bob and some timely PP goals the Jackets were in position to come away with the win and two points in the standings before poor defensive coverage, ...
The Toronto Maple Leafs and James Reimer were able to convincingly beat a sluggish Penguins squad that looked to be cruising on the coat tails of Malkin and Crosby. James Neal wasn't much of a factor at all as once again the leafs defensive zone coverage was very good at limiting second chances and forcing a rushed pass in most cases, which lead to many turnovers. Reimer ...
As I was driving home from work tonight, getting into the mood for Sabres hockey, Enemies by Shinedown came on the radio. As I’m singing along in the car, I come across the lyric “You’re taking all that you please, you want more, but you’ll get nothing from me.” As much as I’d love for this to be the song the Sabres come out of the locker room to, there’s one...
After a promising start in which the Blue Jackets earned three of a possible four points after two games, Columbus stumbled badly on a two-game road trip through Phoenix and Colorado dropping a 5 – 1 decision to the Coyotes and a 4 – 0 shutout loss at the hands of the Avalanche. They followed that up with a narrow 3 – 2 loss to the still unbeaten Chicago Blackhawks i...
Again, Buffalo finds themselves going up against a team who hasn’t managed to win this season. While they are without Thomas Vanek today, keep in mind that’s not an excuse. They lost the last 2 games with him in the lineup.
I like what I see offensively from this team. I really do. However, that’s only when they use their speed, and when they make smart decisions...
Well, it's early, perhaps too early to be writing this, but where would the fun be if we didn't jump in and make some observations at this point? As I wrote just prior to the season, the short season could result in some surprising results, for both individual players and for teams, both good and bad. As examples, I stated that some teams who would normally be a lock to be...
The leafs really showed some character last night. they looked as though they were going to give in about halfway through the second period, but they managed to take complete control in the third and won a decisive victory.
The young guns are firing on all cylinders as the goals were scored by; JVR, Kulemin and matt Frattin iced the game again for the leafs. I reall...
The Flyers travel to Washington tonight for a crucial matchup with the Capitals. Both teams are reeling and going to come out of the gate desperate. The Flyers need to match that intensity level and not just weather the storm. These 2 points up for grabs tonight are key if they want to stay in the playoff race for the Atlantic division.
[b]Heavy is the Jersey with the 'C...
2/4
Maple Leafs 1, Hurricanes 4
Why should I ever get my hopes up on the Toronto Maple Leafs?
The blue and white played well against Boston, despite getting outworked and out-muscled in the offensive zone. They did score a good goal that somehow was taken away from them. Chris Kelly plays for the Bruins, just in case you referee's did not know that. Besides the fa...
February 10, 2013
[b]A Tale of Two Cities; Leafs Dressed for Battle, Kings Relinquish the Sword[/b]
In December of 2011, I took in my first Maple Leaf game in Toronto against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Los Angeles Kings. At the time, the Kings had been struggling mightily and had just fired their coach Terry Murray and had yet to replace them with Darryl Sutte...
I will not try to calculate cap or anything, this is for fun, and what I believe could potentially be an ultimate team. I will pick 4 lines, 3 sets of d, and two goalies. The point is to create a team not of superstars but together will play as a team.rnrn1st UnitrnJames Van Riemsdyke - Sidney Crosby - Steven StamkosrnrnThis unit will have JVR is front of the net, and Cros...
[img]http://blog.nj.com/devils_main/2009/03/medium_kip310.jpg[/img]
It has been a scorching rumour and topic in Calgary for the past year or so now in Calgary- What should the Flames do with Jarome Iginla and Miikka Kiprusoff? As per Capgeek.com, the Flames have five UFA’s and four RFA’s this upcoming off-season. There’s no secret that the Flames are a team cons...
TheKingsGarden writes...
Kings Flat in Chicago; Maple Leafs Cruise to the Sun Belt
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]President's Day Blog![/b]
Enjoy the day off...well for those who are teacher's like me got the day off!
I am sure others did too...hopefully.
Some comments on the Kings game at the United Center on Sunday...
[u][i]Kings 2 @ Chicago Blackhawks 3[/i][/u]
I was expecting a team like the Kings, who are defending champions, or so technically speaking they are,...
Tonight the Coyotes hosted the Calgary Flames, who just came of a hard fought come from behind victory last night against the Dallas Stars.
The Coyotes were looking to take advantage of that fact when they were coming into this game… and take advantage they did. In less than a minute they grabbed the lead with a rebound goal by Keith Yandle. I got to feel for Calgary...
Well this is more like it! A lot more of what I expected out of the Habs this year, building a lead through two periods and blowing it in the third. I know it’s a pessimistic point of view, but one thing I’ve learned from Les Habitants is to never count your chickens before they hatch. My one key to this game was to shutdown Tavares and Moulson, the only offensive punc...
TheKingsGarden writes...
Kings Back in Power; Leafs, Scrivens Can't Hold On To Sens
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[b]February 23rd[/b]
[i][b]All Hail, Trevor Lewis![/b][/i]
[u][i]Kings 4, Colorado Avalanche 1[/i][/u]
After a disastrous opening 30 minutes in Chicago last Sunday, the LA Kings have woken up and are once again playing up to its capabilities.
Okay, so the defending champs have won three in a row against the youthful Oilers, the weak Flames and the fragile Avala...
The Phoenix Coyotes took on the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames on back to back nights this weekend. I will be pretty brief in my explanations of the games because I did not see enough of them to give what I believe to be a high-quality analysis. Also, I am not a huge fan of writing a lot after losses because sometimes there is not much positive to say.
First off, t...
A long time ago I wrote a, “What would Iginla asking price be” for the Flames. Of course it was met with a lot of vitriol. No one wants to think that their best prospect may be included for an aging star like Iginla but make no mistake, if the trade happens the Flames will only do it if the return is an overpayment, otherwise why do it?
Iginla will only go to a team...
Most other fan bases don't understand the suffering involved in being a loyal Maple Leafs fan. I couldn't possibly count the number of times someone has taunted me with, "1967". I cringe every time there is a team honoured at the ACC, because there will be only black and white footage, and people will be sure to point that out. A newsflash for all fans of other teams that ...
Really Michel Therrien? Brian Gionta. Brian fucking Gionta. One of the coldest players in our line up right now and you put the game on his stick. So how did that work out for you? Oh, he didn’t even get a shot off? Quick, can anyone think of a couple players you would rather see out there in the fourth round of a shoot out before Gionta? I can bang out a few off the top...
[b]March 4th[/b]
[u][i]Kings 5, Nashville Predators 1[/i][/u]
First of all, give me some credit for staying up living in central time zone to watch a game between two teams who don't score much but take great pride in tight, defensive-minded hockey with great goaltending.
Sure it is boring, but its the way hockey is supposed to be played.
But thank God I did s...
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...
[b]Tale of the Tape[/b]
MTL 14-4-4 NYI 9-11-2
Goals For: MTL 3.04 NYI 2.82
Goals Against: MTL 2.32 NYI 3.41
Special Teams: MTL PP 19.0%(11th) MTL PK 82.6%(15th)
NYI PP 22.1% (5th) NYI PK 84.2% (10th)
Canadiens Road Record 6-1-2
Islanders Home Record 3-8-1
Season Series: 1-0 New York (4-3(OT) February 21st)
Currently Riding: MTL 1W NYI 1W
[b]Projected Lines[...
The Montreal Canadiens have finished the first half of their regular season and are possibly the most pleasant surprise in the entire league. Sure, Chicago going this long without losing in regulation is hard to believe, but no one is surprised that they are the top team in the league. With all the injuries in Ottawa, it is hard to believe they keep winning, but they were ...
The Montreal Canadiens have finished the first half of their regular season and are possibly the most pleasant surprise in the entire league. Sure, Chicago going this long without losing in regulation is hard to believe, but no one is surprised that they are the top team in the league. With all the injuries in Ottawa, it is hard to believe they keep winning, but they were ...
The Montreal Canadiens return to the Bell Centre tonight to face the Ottawa Senators following a very successful 5 game road trip. The only blemish on the trip came in New York against an Islanders team desperate to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The loss was a tough one for Carey Price especially, who had allowed at least 5 goals in back to back starts. Price would b...
Randy Carlyle is very close to going from hero to goat in Leafland if the results don't change and soon. The team was 15-9-0 and in 5th place just a short time ago and all was well, but a recent 0-3-1 slide has the microscope focusing on the bench boss and a few of his curious decisions. It is difficult to be too hard on Randy, however, this Leafs team has played a much mo...
MintEdition writes...
This year the Leafs won’t fall like it’s the autumn…
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I actually think that the Leafs could finally make the playoff!
Yes I said it, it seems like on an odd or sometimes even day they come thru in some fashion. I my mind thou there isn’t any reason to spill time on pondering if whether they could escape first round or even (god is laughing) make it further.
[b]So do I have any kind of claim for this kind of thesis?[/b...
It was a night of many firsts for the Montreal Canadiens. Everyone knew coming into the contest against the New Jersey Devils that it would be the first game of Jarred Tinordi’s (hopefully long) NHL career. Halfway through the first period of play, Colby Armstrong would (finally) score his first goal in a Canadiens sweater. Later, midway through the third, Tinordi would ...
The Plight of this team
This season has been nothing but horribly sad for us fans in "Hockey Heaven". Last night as I sat screaming in the Verizon Center next to fellow Sabres fans in the D.C. area...it hit me. This team is horrible. From top to bottom. Watching a team that was behind us in the standings, who also played the day before, dance around us in our own zon...
Kenny_Mac writes...
David Desharnais: Undersized Center Earns Huge Contract
Posted Monday | Comments 0
David Desharnais has overcome adversity every year of his hockey career, proving himself at every level of competition before finally cashing in with the Montreal Canadiens. The 4 year, 14 million dollar contract is a huge deal for the undersized center, but he has been defeating the odds since before his junior career began and will prove he is worth every penny. (Or ever...
royalgardens writes...
Kings Sweep; Iginla? Bernier? Other Ideas...Leafs Strike TBY
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]March 20[/b]
[b][i]Kings Sweep Away Misfit Coyotes[/i][/b]
Before I offer my opinion on the LA Kings trade rumors, I should mention a little bit about last night...
During the two-game home series against the Phoenix Coyotes, we saw a true championship caliber team man-handle and dictate play against a team that thinks they can compete with them, but in reality...
In the midst of a playoff race the Dallas Stars may be fielding some phone calls for their legendary winger Jaromir Jagr. The Great Jaromir has had success everywhere he’s played and what a motivating factor it would be to win a Cup for JR, who last won the prize in 1992 when most of the players in the league were learning how to ride a bike.
In his eighteen seasons i...
No one is really talking about it but the Montreal Canadiens must be considered a Stanley Cup contender at this point. Sure the Boston Bruins are big, bad and won it all two years ago but we’ve seen many times before that the Canadiens are capable of beating the Bruins in the playoffs. In fact, two seasons ago when the B’s won the Cup they barely got by the Habs in a f...
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...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Once Again, Habs Show They Belong With Class of the East
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Since the puck finally dropped on this shortened season, followers of the NHL have been pointing to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins as the top teams to beat in the Eastern Conference. While the Penguins and Bruins have certainly performed well enough to deserve such credit, there is a third team in the East that has separated themselves from the rest of the pack....
Kenny_Mac writes...
Nathan Beaulieu Makes NHL Debut as Habs Host Rangers
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens close out their March schedule tonight as they face the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre. It has been a very successful month for the Habs thus far as they enter tonight’s contest with an 8-3-2 record in March.
It will be the third meeting of the season between the original six rivals and Montreal is looking for a clean sweep after posting 3-...
Follow me on Twitter: @flamesfan1981
With the recent trading of Flames icon and captain Jarome Iginla, there is no doubt that Calgary management have made it clear they intend to rebuild or "retool" as they calling it. Bouwmeester will almost certainly yield a larger return for the Flames than Iginla and here's why
Jay Bouwmeester is arguably one of the best defence...
flamesfan1981 writes...
Feaster Famine: Analyzing Feaster's Tenure As Flames GM
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Follow me on twitter @flamesfan1981
When I originally began writing this article it was before the recent moves by Feaster in the trading of Flames icon Jarome Iginla and their top defender in Jay Bouwmeester. Some of my opinions will certainly change based off of these 2 moves.
On December 28, 2010, Darryl Sutter resigned as the General Manager of the Calgary Flame...
With the NHL’s trade deadline less than 24 hours away the Montreal Canadiens have played their way into a position of being a buyer instead of selling off assets like they did a year ago. As the deadline approaches, the Habs will be sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference, only trailing the now Crosby-less Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Penguins have added signif...
Miikka Kiprusoff will most likely go down as one of the Flames all time best goalies in franchise history. He's been a solid goalie for the past few years and a workhorse. Despite having a subpar year (could be attributed to not going to play anywhere during the lockout, along with a list of other things) some people think he may have some left in the tank, which he absolu...
MintEdition writes...
GMGM doing a GM (grand mistake) - The Filip Forsberg trade
Posted Friday | Comments 0
When I first saw this on the blocks I thought to my self "no way that was a good deal for the caps"!
I saw some people posting their arguments. They said that Forsberg, still only 18 only plays in the second league of Sweden and also that since he is so young there is still many years left before we know his NHL caliber
My comeback would be:
[b]Yes [/b]- still young...
flamesfan1981 writes...
What should the Flames strategy be moving forward?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter @flamesfan1981
It's no secret that the Flames organization is in need of a full rebuild. By full rebuild I mean a full tear it down completely and rebuild from the ground-up type of rebuild. With the recent trades of Jarome Iginla, Jay Bouwmeester and attempting to move Kiprusoff; all fans were under the assumption the Flames organization were doin...
The Montreal Canadiens look to continue their winning ways tonight as they host the suddenly surging Washington Capitals. Winners of 5 out of their last 6, Montreal currently resides in second place in the Eastern Conference, three points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins and only one point ahead of division rival Boston Bruins.
The Capitals are the third seed in the East...
flamesfan1981 writes...
2014 Olympics: My Canadian Men's Ice Hockey Roster
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter: @flamesfan1981
While watching Hockey Night In Canada last weekend on CBC, the broadcast mentioned that the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia are exactly 10 months away. The first thought that popped into my head and most likely any Canadian hockey fan, was memories of the 2010 Olympics in which Sidney Crosby took a feed from Jarome Iginla in OT of th...
Is Alex Ovechkin now a candidate for the Hart Trophy?
If you told me after the first couple weeks of the start of the season that the Washington Capitals would be sitting atop the Southeast with 8 games left I would have laughed at said, "Maybe". If you told me that Alex Ovechkin would be tied for the league lead in goals I would have laughed a little harder and said, "...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Canadiens Led by Re-signed Budaj Set to Face Sabres
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The two teams that have given the Montreal Canadiens the most trouble thus far during their successful season would be the Buffalo Sabres and the Toronto Maple Leafs. It just so happens that the pair of division rivals will be their next two opponents as the Habs travel to Buffalo tonight followed by a Saturday night meeting with the Leafs.
These two games come on the h...
Don't silence the boo birds
For years now we have paid thousands of our meager incomes to pay the salaries of this mediocre group of hockey players. Although I do understand that players, like Steve Ott, are frustrated because the booing is demoralizing to the young players and the veterans. I also feel the need to tell him to shut up and play hockey. He has been a pol...
flamesfan1981 writes...
Flames: Why the Flames need to draft Nathan MacKinnon!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Follow me on twitter: @flamesfan1981
For the past two decades the Calgary Flames franchise has attempted to fill their to center positions with low cost or washed up bandaid solutions that simply weren't the answer. To put this into better perspective, the Flames top 2 scoring Centerman since the 1996 season have been Robert Reichel (354 points in 425 games) and Craig ...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Canadiens Sprint to Finish Begins Against Oldest Rival
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
With a playoff berth officially clinched following a dominating win over the Buffalo Sabres, the sprint for playoff positioning now begins for the Montreal Canadiens. With eight games remaining for both Montreal and division rival Boston Bruins and only one point separating them, the division champ will be crowned based on who finishes the season the hottest.
The sprint...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Montreal Looks to Keep Momentum Going Against Capitals
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens finally rediscovered the win column against the Tamp Bay Lightning after suffering their three ugliest losses of the season. With a little luck and a huge game from the man who was handed the blame for the losing streak, Habs fans can sigh a bit of relief before facing the Washington Capitals tonight.
The Lightning had countless chances to open t...
There are only six days remaining in the regular season but many questions are left to be answered in the Eastern Conference. The number of potential playoff teams has been narrowed to just nine but aside from the Pittsburgh Penguins securing the number one seed, no one’s position is guaranteed.
The race for the Northeast Division title and second overall throughout t...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Canadiens Dominate Maple Leafs; Await First Round Opponent
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Tonight’s game started like far too many for the Montreal Canadiens recently. Behind 1-0 in the first period and having to battle their way back to stay alive in the race for the Northeast Division title. More often than not over the last two weeks, Montreal would let the 1-0 deficit become 2-0 before finding the back of the opponent’s net but that would not be the cas...
Kiks52 writes...
Maple Leafs Finish Regular Season With Disappointing Loss
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://i.imgur.com/k6DlcxF.png[/img]When the Toronto Maple Leafs skated on to the ice at Air Canada Centre before an ecstatic, jam-packed crowd of 19,730, the largest crowd of the shortened season, it was a monumental moment in the history of the franchise. After all, after eight straight seasons of falling short, the Leafs had managed to earn a hard-fought fift...
The Montreal Canadiens return to the postseason after a one year hiatus and will face their division rival Ottawa Senators in the opening round. Just a year ago, the Canadiens season ended early after finishing 15th in the Eastern Conference standings and 28th overall in the 30 team National Hockey League. Montreal was able to pull themselves out of the cellar of the East ...
As an Oilers fan, you don't get to see a lot of playoff hockey, it sucks yes, but this, Ottawa against Montreal, is a series you need to watch. Even if you are American. Apparently to Team 1200, the two refs that we reffing the game, are "The most experienced refs the NHL have." It didn't show. The refs called a total of 236 penalty minutes in the game, which is a lot, obv...
[b]May 6th[/b]
If the defending champion Kings are going to turn around and take this quarterfinal series against the St. Louis Blues as originally expected, then some big guns need to step things up a bit.
Through the first three games, the Kings have scored a grand total of three goals, and one of them has been by a defenseman. One goal a game is not going to get t...
Captain_Kurtz writes...
Captains of The 30 NHL teams and ranking out of 10. part 1
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
What makes a good captain? Is a good captain your best player offensively or is a good captain the heart and soul of the team? You decide. [u]Anaheim Ducks-Ryan Getzlaf[/u] Ryan Getzlaf was drafted by the Ducks 1st round (19th overall) in the 2003 entry draft. He was named captain by the team prior too the 2010-2011 season. Despite a horrible 2011-2012 season when he had 5...
[b]Sharks - Kings Preview[/b]
Well, Sharks' Fans got their wish. Thank you Detroit. Now, the Sharks don't have to play the Blackhawks in the Second Round. That's the Good News.
The Bad News, is that they will have to play the Los Angeles Kings instead. Out of the frying pan, and into the proverbial fire as it were.
This is going to be a tough series for the ...
Did you know that $24 Million dollars can buy you a gently used 2007 Gulfstream G450 private jet, or Katherine Hepburn’s oceanfront estate in Connecticut (if you were willing to negotiate a bit), or even the Archduke Joseph 76 carat, D color, flawless diamond (Sotheby’s estimate $15 - $25 Million $U.S.)?
And $24 Million can also buy Charles Wang his freedom from not...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Disappointing Playoffs Overshadow Successful Rebirth of Habs
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens began this shortened season with the lowest of expectations. Following such a disastrous 2011-12 campaign, the lockout that delayed the start of this season was seen almost as a blessing to some Habs fans, who were fearing another season as embarrassing as the last.
Canadiens fans would be disappointed in the Habs season when it finished, but not ...
[b]May 19[/b]
Now that my heart and soul has recovered somewhat from the Maple Leafs' monumental game 7 collapse in Boston, I think I can finally chime in with some post-series comments.
First of all, give the Maple Leafs all the credit in the world for bringing out the best in the Boston Bruins. As I originally predicted, I thought Toronto would have been lucky enou...
So, Oilers blogger Richard Cloutier (@rdcloutier on twitter) wrote a blog today suggesting that MacT will be trying to trade up a couple spots so that he can pick Sasha Barkov. Considering the recent news that Valery Nichushkin has decided to come to North America, I can definately see the possibility of Barkov being available around the 4 or 5 spot.
I wr...
Kenny_Mac writes...
Canadiens Free Agents: Who Returns and Who Leaves Montreal
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens have some tough decision to make when it comes to deciding which free agents should be re-signed and which should be allowed to test the market. Montreal’s current unrestricted free agents are Michael Ryder, Colby Armstrong, Jeff Halpern, and Davis Drewiske. Their restricted free agents include Ryan White, Gabriel Dumont, Michael Blunden and Yannic...
My first blog will be pretty straight forward; I am convinced the flyers will use their compliance buy out on Ilya Bryzgalov. Not too much of a shocker for most, really. For those who do not know, the salary cap is dropping to roughly 67 million in the 2013-2014 season, which poses problems for certain clubs, including the flyers. To remedy this, the NHL gave each team two...
flamesfan1981 writes...
Flames: Best Case Scenario at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter @flamesfan1981 and please note I will be Tweeting LIVE FROM THE PRUDENTIAL CENTER at the 2013 NHL Entry Draft!
Thanks to the Flames partial fire-sale during the season, they are in a unique position of owning three 1st round draft picks in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft taking place in New Jersey. The draft is deemed by many scouts and hockey experts to ...
Your 2013-2014 Toronto Maple Leafs
The whole city of Toronto and those of us in the die-hard “Leafs Nation” fan base were on top of the world with just over ten minutes to play in the third period of a crucial game 7 against our rival, the Boston Bruins. We were taunting Boston fans, we were criticizing all the analysts who had the Bruins beating us in four or fiv...
Your 2013-2014 Toronto Maple Leafs
The whole city of Toronto and those of us in the die-hard “Leafs Nation” fan base were on top of the world with just over ten minutes to play in the third period of a crucial game 7 against our rival, the Boston Bruins. We were taunting Boston fans, we were criticizing all the analysts who had the Bruins beating us in four or fiv...
-[b]For[/b] the last year I've been reading comment after comment regarding what the oilers need to do to improve and take the next step. "We need to get tougher" "Top 6 forward, #1 Dman and 2 bottom 6 gritty vets with size" "Were not going to be able to this and that because we wont move our younger core players".
-[b]For [/b]me, going into next...
-[b]For[/b] the last year I've been reading comment after comment regarding what the oilers need to do to improve and take the next step. "We need to get tougher" "Top 6 forward, #1 Dman and 2 bottom 6 gritty vets with size" "Were not going to be able to this and that because we wont move our younger core players".
-[b]For [/b]me, going into next...
There has been WAY too much going on in Edmonton. Basically, EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING. Here's part one of the week that was in Oil Country.
It was announced yesterday that GM Craig MacTavish has fired Head Coach Ralph Krueger. A bit of a surprise, considering that MacT gave Krueger a vote of confidence when hired in late April. At the press conference, MacT adm...
There has been WAY too much going on in Edmonton. Basically, EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING. Here's part one of the week that was in Oil Country.
It was announced yesterday that GM Craig MacTavish has fired Head Coach Ralph Krueger. A bit of a surprise, considering that MacT gave Krueger a vote of confidence when hired in late April. At the press conference, MacT adm...
There has been WAY too much going on in Edmonton. Basically, EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING. Here's part one of the week that was in Oil Country.rnrn It was announced yesterday that GM Craig MacTavish has fired Head Coach Ralph Krueger. A bit of a surprise, considering that MacT gave Krueger a vote of confidence when hired in late April. At the press conference, MacT adm...
I am new to the whole blog game. But not afraid to share an opinion. So to start a little bit about myself. I am an avid fan of the NHL, I live it and breath it. I love talking about it, only problem, no one close to me really is into it as much as I am. So that is why I have come here to share my views (and yes some may be biased more towards Vancouver as I have been rais...
Dallas Vancouver and the Rangers are in need of a coach. Here are my ideas on best fits. In Dallas I would look at Scott Arneil or Lindy Ruff. Arneil has potential as much as he had a not so great time in Columbus. I do believe though that he has what it takes and the Stars team is lacking so it could really show what he is made of. Lindy Ruff for the reason that I view Da...
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 ...
Everybody knows that size matters.
I’m talking about the one that gives you the reach to get to the puck first or take it away from a player, the one that makes you less likely to get tossed away from the puck or that you can use to toss smaller players from it, the one that hurts when you bodycheck a player and the one that makes it less likely to get hurt or tired whe...
Draft Predictions At Number Six (Flames)
Hi everyone, over the last few days I’ve been asking twitter followers of mine who they think the Calgary Flames will pick at number six in their own opinion.
So let’s hear what they said.
Ryan Smiley (@BacklundFan11)
- Im gonna have to say I’d pick Max Domi of the London Knights (OHL).
He’s probably one of ...
Just some late night trade possibilities. Canucks trade Roberto Luongo, Jannik Hansen, 1st round pick and 3rd round pick TO the Islanders for Nino Niederreiter, Josh Bailey, Rick Dipietro, 1st rounder and 2nd rounder. Maybe a deal that doesn't or cant take off but I could see it being a good deal? It would suck to see Hansen go but to bring back Niederreiter and Bailey wou...
CanesTR writes...
Deal or no deal? – Carolina Hurricanes 2013 Draft Preview
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Well, with the Stanley Cup Play-offs finally done, we can finally turn our attention to the upcoming draft. With the No.5 pick overall, rumors are rampant as to how the Carolina Hurricanes will play it this year. And, to quote TV game-show host, Howie Mandel, “Deal or no deal?” That is the question Jim Rutherford must be ruminating on as we head into this weekend...
Quick Hit Mock Draft top 10
1. Avs- Mackinnon- Because Top tier talent like his at forward with his size is an undeniable play.
2. Panthers- Drouin- Drouinand Huberdeau woul make up their Kane Toews and they know it.
3. Lightening- Barkov- Jones is a huge temptation but they drafted their stud D already, they will need Centre help and scoring with Vinny likely on his ...
flamesfan1981 writes...
Flames: Rounds 1-7 on who the Flames should draft
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter @flamesfan1981
There have been plenty of 1st round mock drafts in which we all have ideas on what player will be drafted in what range.
In this blog I am going to break down all of the Flames picks, from rounds 1 through 7 and determine who should be drafted at that position based on the Flames strategy of "best player available".
Here are the...
For my blog today, I decided that I would write a bit about what I think about the European Goalie Situation with the Canadian Hockey League.
For me, the love of hockey came in the Junior league (WHL) at the will of the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Being raised an Edmonton Oiler fan in southern Alberta, I never really got to see many games (none actually) of the NHL calibre, ...
[b]Ilya Bryzgalov, 33 - Philadelphia[/b]
Contract: $51.0m/9yrs
Buyout: $23.0m/14yrs
This contract is the definition of what the power of having a union can do for you. For most people who are fired or let go they are lucky to get severance and even if they do, that severance is almost nothing to kick back on and retire early with. Meet Ilya Bryzgalov.
The epitome o...
dal_johnson writes...
Carolina Wants to Trade the 5th? Flames should go after it.
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
If Carolina is looking to trade the 5th pick, as a Flames fan I think that they should go all out to try and get it.
For the Flames, the ideal is to get Nathan MacKinnon. But there is no way that is going to happen. At least not while completely crippling the roster. While MacKinnon will be a franchise somewhere, the steps needed to get to that pick will set the re...
royalgardens writes...
Losing Mark Fraser Would Be a Mistake; Other Toronto Targets
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[i][b]June 29[/b][/i]
Nearly on the Eve of the first day of free agency...
Just some quick thoughts on the Maple Leafs before the real offseason frenzy begins...
News today that Mark Fraser has rejected Toronto's two-way qualifying offer. I am a little disappointed to hear that, because I think that the soon to be 27-year old proved that he deserves to be a solid ...
When the Capitals lost in the first round to the New York Rangers in 7 games in the first round, the Capitals knew they had work to do in the Draft. Their biggest need is a Defensemen. Their power play was ranked 4th in the NHL last year. Also, they signed Braden Holtby to a two year extension during the season, so they are good in those areas.
With the 23rd overall pi...
First I would like to apologize for not following up on my last blog sooner to the many who were waiting with baited breath...mom. But I have been back in CGY and got caught up helping in-law flood victims. I will get to it as soon as possible.
But since this is a rumour board and I heard a rumour I thought I would pass it on. As anyone who reads my blogs knows I don't ...
flamesfan1981 writes...
Flames: Who they drafted versus who they should've drafted
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Follow me on Twitter: @flamesfan1981
The 2013 NHL Entry Draft was probably the single most important draft in the history of the Calgary Flames franchise. Flames brask has made it clear they intend to rebuild the team properly and made the promise to fans they would draft the 'Best Player Available' in order to fulfill the needs of the organization. Did Jay Feaster an...
Now that the leafs have handed out the massive contract to Clarkson and resigned center Tyler Bozak the leafs roster looks to be pretty near set in stone. Barring any major trades or changes on the blue line, the leafs have yet again been led on the path of size and "truculence" (in the words of former gm Brian Burke) as opposed to speed and skill.
As pointed out earli...
[u][b]Anaheim[/b][/u] - While Anaheim did not sign a single free agent yet this off season, they may have made the biggest headlines. They did this when the news broke that Bobby Ryan was officially traded. Ryan, the target of much speculation when it came to trades over the past year or two, was finally traded. Ryan was shipped off to the Ottowa Senators in exchange for J...
The Flyers made a big splash in free agency when they acquired former Tampa Bay Lightning star Vincent Lecavalier after being a victim of a compliance buy out. The terms of the deal were for 5 years and $22.5M - an annual cap hit of $4.5M.
While more people than not seem to be in favor of this acquisition, there are still some echoes - and even the occasional ridicul...
George Laraque spoke to the La Presse in MTL today about Bergevins decision to bring in Parros. Laraque has been negative towards the Canadiens since they told him to leave halfway into his 3 year contract. I do believe it is jealously. 7th round pick and a terrible prospect for a 6'5 228 pound fighter whose won a cup is a great deal. Parros won't be playing every night as...
andrewhitson writes...
Motown Musings: Wings Roll into Development Camp
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Exciting times ahead in Motown. The Wings were active on FA Day bringing in much needed top six depth while staying away from costly trades or ill-timed signings.
I've seen a lot of fans chime in on line combinations lately, and without a doubt Mr. Babcock has plenty of options to play with. But, for the thrill of the guess, i'll post my idea of an ideal situation on op...
andrewhitson writes...
Motown Musings: Development Camp off to a flying start
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It's day two in Traverse City. That means we've seen Red Wings picks from the past few seasons on the ice together for two days. So what have we learned so far?
1) Little Bertuzzi is a pain to play against: just ask Nick Jenson who got into a scrap with the second round pick during day one. Bertuzzi got the best of him and now Jenson is nursing a shoulder tweak and mis...
[b]Twitter : @ProspectReport[/b]
I checked out the Calgary Flames' scrimmage today, and just felt it necessary to post a few thoughts, going over who impressed, and who didn't. It's going to be a quick blog. For those who don't follow me on twitter, I run my own scouting service, and cover the Flames for a few sites - just starting to post here as well.
Mark Jankowsk...
ScottyHuck writes...
Buffalo, Calgary and Columbus First Round Draft Results
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I know it has been a while since the 2013 NHL Draft came to a close, but this is something I have been meaning to comment on for a while and simply haven't gotten around to writing. Since its been a while, here is a list of who picked whom and in which position.
6th Overall - Calgary - Sean Monahan
Center - 6'2"/185 lbs
8th Overall - Buffalo - Rasmus Ristolainen
D...
Aside from the recent front office change (welcome back, Hexy!) things have been pretty slow on the Flyers front and probably will be since their biggest splashes have already been made. What I’m being asked about now focuses on the prospects, the young guys, who makes the team, etc.
Before I get into that, let’s assume that the following players open the year with...
Every year since 1975 Flyers fans have been stuck asking "is this our year?" or muttering the phrase come spring time "there's always next season." Many times over the years Flyers fans have watched the Orange and Black come so close to reclaiming Lord Stanley but falling short in the end. While factoring in injuries and 'down' seasons I'm going to look at the case for the...
For those who did not attend, I got a huge problem with top prospect Mikhail Grigorenko after what I saw at the scrimmage at First Niagara Center. Mikhail Grigorenko, last year's 12th overall pick, centered the top line on Team Gold and had the chance to stand out amongst the other prospects. That is not what happened. Fellow first rounder Zemgus Girgensons centered the to...
With the NHL finally agreeing to send their players to Sochi, I began thinking of the potential roster Canada could put forth. It is crazy to think that while most of the defending gold medalists could be back, the 2010 Olympic team did not have current superstars like Stamkos, Tavares and Giroux. The firepower on this upcoming team will be extraordinary.
One big change...
So Mike Babcock is going to coach Team Canada. That's a shocker. Seriously though, lets talk about something that hasn't been known for the past year. It isn't news folks.
How about we mock up some lines for Team Canada, that's always fun.
Here's what I got lining up on Forward:
Towes/Crosby/Stamkos
Perry/Giroux/Getzlaf
Nash/Tavares/Staal
Couture/Bergeron/...
royalgardens writes...
Nonis' Blue Line Problems; All the Kings Men Set? UPDATED
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]July 26 [/b]
[b][i][i]Nonis and Maple Leafs getting into defensive trouble?[/i][/i][/b]
After the signings of Tyler Bozak (5 years, $21 million) and David Clarkson (7 years, $36.75 million), and the trade for another hot shot young goaltender in Jonathan Bernier, I thought the Maple Leafs were well on their way to becoming a legit Stanley Cup contender over the n...
Mason Raymond should not be overlooked when talking about the slim free agent pool left and the forward position. Look for Raymond to be signed almost immediately following the signings of Grabo, Brunner, Morrow. Raymond is rumoured to be considered a backup plan/2nd option for a depth forward behing the previously mentioned forwards. ...
I am the GM of the old West & East Conference and I can only trade players out of their conferences , those are the 15 deals that I am proposing. ( Salary Cap , Team Needs, Depth Areas and Years Remaining on the contract are all factors included).
1. MTL - ANA Andrei Markov for Emerson Etem 1st round draft pick (2014)
( Explanation: Someone that can mentor Cam Fo...
With the winter olympics in Sochi coming up in February I thought I would predict what I think the lines will be. There is so many players good enough in Canada that we could make 5 teams that could compete for a medal. But since we can only make 1, here are my picks for the 2014 canadian olympic team....
Giroux- Stamkos- St Louis
Neal - Crosby - Staal
Hall - Ta...
Losing my post v-card, here we go...
We all know Grabovski had some choice words for the Leafs organization and staff, but considering how he was used by Carlyle, can you really blame him? We all know players in his situation are thinking it, but it actually takes balls to say it! You have to commemorate him for holding it all in during the season and showing up every ...
Hey everyone,
Let me start off by saying I love having Holmgren as a GM, at least there's never a dull moment and you can't blame him for not trying! As long as we don't have to sit through 5 years of a painful, embarrassing rebuild I'm okay with it... and I do think we're closer to winning a cup with Schenn, Simmonds, Voracek, and Couturier than Carter and Richie (it w...
As the name suggests...
Nash - Crosby - Stamkos
Sharp - Toews - Giroux
E. Staal - Getzlaf - Perry
Richards - Bergeron - Carter
Tavares
Pietrangelo - Weber
Seabrook - Keith
Doughty - Subban
Alzner - Letang
Crawford - Price - Luongo (I say Crawford because he knows how to win on good teams and winning on good teams vs winning on bad teams is very different)
...
Here is my final installement of the evaluation camp from Lake Placid.
Game 3: Canada 1 USA 5
Lines:
Monahan-Gauthier-Lazar
Horvat-Laughton-Shinkaruk
Domi-McDavid-Reinhart
Leipsic-Petan-Wilson
Girardr
USA notables for Flames fans:
Gillies-Goal Sieloff-Defense
This game was a in stark contrast to the previous two Canadian tilts. The previous two teams (Fin...
Team Canada enters the Olympics like they enter any International tournament, the favorites to win.
After winning a nail-biting Gold Medal in 2010 on home ice, the Canadians will bring a younger roster to Sochi in hopes of a repeat. There are probably around three forward lines and two defense lines worth of players that are going and are really non-negotiable. The fina...
It is clear we have a couple holes on the Canucks depth chart. In my eyes we need 1 physical stay at home D-Man and 1 grinder who can score when needed to. With only $4.5 mil our options are fairly few, but I feel there is an opportunity here to get exactly who we need and stay under the cap. Now Gillis just needs to pull the trigger before they get snatched up.
My tak...
As many of you know, MacT recently unload Oiler captain Shawn Horcoff to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Phillip Larssen and a 7th round pick. Which I personally think was a great deal because the Oilers were not forced to keep any of Horcoff's salary and we added a young depth defenseman. I digress, the main issue of this blog is to discuss the problem created by moving...
The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia are approaching quickly. Bitter rivalries, intensity, dedication and honour are just some of the great reasons to be excited for this tournament. I find the roster selection and the thought of all these great stars playing side by side very interesting. Does a team like Canada throw a bunch of offensive players on their roster and...
For defensemen to succeed on the big, Olympic-sized ice you have to look for a few main tools- A smooth, fluid skater who is mobile at both ends of the ice so if he makes a mistake he an high tail it back to make up for it- You have to be smart and have good vision to see developing plays and attacks as well as having the ability to break out of your own zone with a blink ...
24IsNotEnough writes...
Que le mois d'octobre arrive!...et ma candidature
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Les mois d'été sont superbes pour le soleil que nous avons en si petite quantité et pour la chaleur qui nous manque durant environ 8 mois au Québec, mais restons toutefois honnêtes et avouons que le manque d'actualités sur le hockey de ces temps-ci nous donne vivement hâte au retour du froid pour voir les Glorieux en pleine action.
La nouvelle qui retient l'att...
I grew up in rural Canada by playing hockey against our bitter rivals from the big city an hour away. Well, to us it was a big city, 3 times the size of our town though still only a little over 20,000 people lived there. Like I said, it was rural. The nearest NHL team were the Boston Bruins about 1100km, the Montreal Canadiens were about 10 kilometres further west. The pro...
Would you call them mistakes?
Personally, I like Bernier's potential and Clarkson's play. Not a big fan of Bolland, he's injured a lot and reminds me of Kaleta (rodent pest on the ice).
For the lost souls, I loved Frattin, would have molded into a great replacement for Kulemin (oh, he's gone for sure). As for Scrivens, I wish him the best.
The main issue I have wit...
[b]Well Canucks fans, Mike Gillis has done it again...[/b]
The Montreal Canadiens were reportedly interested in one of our D-Men. (I'm gonna assume Edler or Tanev)
If it WAS Edler, he had a chance to shed some salary from the back end which lets be honest, we need to do. Edler IS probably the best D-man we have...BUT we have quite a few solid guys back there and Edl...
Premièrement, j'aimerais annoncer que j'aime beaucoup la signature de Douglas Murray hier. Il s'agit d'un défenseur avec des lacunes en ce qui concerne la vitesse, mais le Canadiens devait absolument se trouver un peu de muscle pour la ligne bleue. L'addition de Douglas Murray hier veut dire que le Canadiens de Montréal se retrouve dans la même situation que l'an derni...
First of all, I have to say that I am quite happy with the acquisition of Douglas Murray. rnSure, he may not be the most complete player with speed lacking sorely in his game, but the Canadiens absolutely needed to add a little bit of grit on the back end with Emelin for the better part of the first half of the season. Oddly enough, the Murray addition means that the Canad...
The IIHF released the results of a survey they did encompassing all 62 member countries regarding the number of registered hockey players in their systems.
The international government of hockey said that the number of players has increased by almost 40,000 since last year, an increase of almost 2.5%, bringing to the total world-wide to over 1.6 million players.
Cana...
Apologies if this ends up being posted twice. Someone asked for a translation of my French blog, tried about 12 hours ago and it still hasn't shown up so here goes! First of all, I'd like to state that I am a fan of the Douglas Murray signing. Sure, this is a veteran that might be lacking in the speed department, but the Canadiens really needed to add a little muscle on th...
The new hockey season is upon us with only 37 days away from puck drop. The Capitals will find themselves in a new division with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes and Columbus Blue Jackets. Safe to say, this division will be one of the better divisions in the league with teams like Col...
Hockey Pool season is almost upon us and I hope most of you have a solid group of guys/gals that you try to win money from every year. We gather in homes/garages/bars wearing jerseys and engage in drinking, chirping, and eating until the heartburn makes us hate ourselves more than picking Dany Heatly.
Everyone can usually handle the first 2-3 rounds picking the league...
Hockey Pool season is almost upon us and I hope most of you have a solid group of guys/gals that you try to win money from every year. We gather in homes/garages/bars wearing jerseys and engage in drinking, chirping, and eating until the heartburn makes us hate ourselves more than picking Dany Heatly.
Everyone can usually handle the first 2-3 rounds picking the league...
Hockey Pool season is almost upon us and I hope most of you have a solid group of guys/gals that you try to win money from every year. We gather in homes/garages/bars wearing jerseys and engage in drinking, chirping, and eating until the heartburn makes us hate ourselves more than picking Dany Heatly.
Everyone can usually handle the first 2-3 rounds picking the league...
I believe that is the mainstream media debate we are participating in, is it not? Should we send a team of absolute all-stars (we could probably send two teams) or should we try to assemble a roster of players who enjoy great chemistry with each other whilst playing in the NHL. Well let's do both and see how it turns out, shall we?
All-Star Team Canada
Goalies:
Ro...
kelholtz writes...
All-Star Team Canada Or All-Chemisty Team Canada Part 2
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So my previous blog tackled the idea of sending a team of all-stars to Sochi to compete for gold. Today we're gonna look at the possibility of a Team Canada built upon player Chemistry. So let's do this!
Goalies:
Corey Crawford
Braden Holtby
Carey Pricern
Bear with me here. Crawford-Keith-Seabrook, a Stanley Cup Trifecta. Holtby-Green-Alzner, Capital punishment....
So Ek says Ken Hitchcock is willing to do whatever it takes to get Hank and Danny out of Vancouver. Not likely to happen but it's a fun thought. But for 2 players of their calibre, St.Louis WILL have to pay pretty heavily.
[u]IF[/u] it was to happen what is a fair price?
I for one have loved [b]Chris Stewart's [/b]game for a long time.
He fills that RW hole we ha...
During training camp, today, Jaromir Jagr left early with "soreness".
As we know, "soreness" is usually media speak for injury. In the case that he is injured, the Devils have a few options to work with.
1.) Damien Brunner - His name has alredy been worn out, but none the less, he would be a likely replacement if Jagr is predicted to be injured into the regular sea...
This is my first attempt ever to write a blog, errors will be made and all this is my outside opinion, will not have proof for any of my statements just thoughts and point of view from a fan outside of Columbus area.
With 2013 camp opening yesterday I would like to give my insight to which rookies will survive the cut and the dream of becoming an NHL player becomes a re...
Tonight is the first preseason game at the First Niagara Center since September of 2011. The lineups are set, and once again more young talent will be displayed tonight in Downtown Buffalo. The lineup looks like this:
[u][b]Forwards:[/b][/u]
[b]Vanek-Hodgson-Armia[/b]
[b]Ennis-Grigorenko-Flynn[/b]
[b]Tropp-Larsson-Leino[/b]
[b]Gillies-Porter-Adam[/b]
[u][b...
You remember going to your first dance as a kid? I remember my first dance, because my parents forced me to go. The one thing that got me to go is how my father explained to me about how going to a dance was an opportunity to ask a girl to dance with me that normally I wouldn’t talk to. Now I was in grade 6 when I attended my first dance, and the thing about being in gra...
The Buffalo Sabres are now 3-0 in the preseason with an impressive 5-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes. In front of 17.626 fans at the First Niagara Center, there was a lot of good things to take from the game last night. Some players took a step back, but some players made a statement with their performances.
Carolina got the first goal of the game with...
It's only been 2 meaningless pre-season games so far, and most players have only appeared in one game so it's hard to put too much stock into anything. Especially with the coaching staff and team still trying to get on the same page and for all the players to understand the system. Other factors include not being familiar with teammates, linemates and also just plain old n...
It's only been 2 meaningless pre-season games so far, and most players have only appeared in one game so it's hard to put too much stock into anything. Especially with the coaching staff and team still trying to get on the same page and for all the players to understand the system. Other factors include not being familiar with teammates, linemates and also just plain old n...
Hey everyone!
Hope you are all excited for the upcoming season! I know I sure am! For me, its a feeling g akin to the lead up to Christmas, your excited for all the surprises and fun nights coming up.
Anyways, let's muse about Les Canadiens.
So far in the preseason I think there's been a couple reasons to be very excited about the prospects and I'm going to ...
Hey everyone!
Hope you are all excited for the upcoming season! I know I sure am! For me, its a feeling g akin to the lead up to Christmas, your excited for all the surprises and fun nights coming up.
Anyways, let's muse about Les Canadiens.
So far in the preseason I think there's been a couple reasons to be very excited about the prospects and I'm going to ...
Nucker101 writes...
Vancouver -When It Rains It Pours: The (Negative) What-Ifs?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
With the season lurking upon us and the talk of rookies and young players being discussed and scrutinized like Global Warming in the year 2000 I thought it would be fun to look at a few what-if scenarios. Since the Vancouver Canucks fanbase has a reputation for being pretty pessimistic and fickle(insert lame overused riot joke here) I thought I would start off with the neg...
Nucker101 writes...
Vancouver -When It Rains It Pours: The (Negative) What-Ifs?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
With the season lurking upon us and the talk of rookies and young players being discussed and scrutinized like Global Warming in the year 2000 I thought it would be fun to look at a few what-if scenarios. Since the Vancouver Canucks fanbase has a reputation for being pretty pessimistic and fickle(insert lame overused riot joke here) I thought I would start off with the neg...
Nucker101 writes...
The Torts Effect: His System & The Effects Of Shot Blocking
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[u][b]The Torts Effect: His System & The Effects Of Shot Blocking[/b][/u]
Well all know that John Tortorella isn't afraid to speak his mind and seemingly has a fetish for shot blocking, but how about we actually do a little more research before just labelling him based on what he's most famous or infamous for. Will the Canucks really be more defensive under his watch co...
[u][b]Canucks Pre-Season Wrap-up: My Opening Day Lineup[/b][/u]
With the final pre-season game in the books with a nice 5-0 win over former coach Alain Vigneault's New York Rangers everyone's attention will not turn toward the opening day lineup. It seems as if the team has settled in on the following roster, at least to start the season while Zach Kassian is suspende...
Nucker101 writes...
The GM's Hat-trick: A Trade, A Signing and A Waiver Claim
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[u][b]The GM's Hat-trick: A Trade, A Signing and A Waiver Claim
[/b][/u]
It's been a busy 72 hours for Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis. Late Saturday night news broke that the Canucks had acquired forwards Zac Dalpe and Jeremy Walsh from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2014 4th Round Draft Pick and forward Kellan Tochkin. Then yesterday at around ...
[u][b]Kids Sent Down, The Forgotten Ones and New Lineup[/b][/u]
With the recent acquisition of Zac Dalpe and an already crowded roster it's no surprise that shiny new rookies Bo Horvat and Hunter Shinkaruk were not in the team's plans for this season. I am a bit surprised that Hunter Shinkaruk didn't at least get a few games with the big club after showing some nice off...
Finally the NHL season is here.
While there only being three games tonight, it's enough to have all hockey fans excited for the new season to begin. Teams and management have worked hard to adjust to the new cap and prepare their teams for a full regular season grind.
Toronto and Montreal kick off the night with the first puck drop and couldn't be more of a classic...
Nucker101 writes...
The GM's Hat-Trick: A Trade, A Signing and A Waiver Claim
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[u][b]The GM's Hat-Trick: A Trade, A Signing and A Waiver Claim
[/b][/u]
It's been a busy few days for Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis. Late Saturday night news broke that the Canucks had acquired forwards Zac Dalpe and Jeremy Walsh from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for a 2014 4th Round Draft Pick and forward Kellan Tochkin. Then Sunday at around noo...
The Chicago Blackhawks host the Washington Capitals in the opening night of NHL action between two of the NHL's top franchises. Who will come out on top? Find out in the highlights of 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/8HOY4pfwoJY[/url]
Thank god Hockey is back. I was getting antsy there. I was feeling like a man covered in honey standing by an anthill. Boy, am I ever glad that THAT is over.
I just walked into an A&W in Montreal, and the employees were checking their phones behind the counter. In French, I asked them the score and the guy said, "The Leafs won 4-3. But, I'm happy. I'm a Leafs...
So just a couple things I saw from the Flames tonight:rnrn-Karri Ramo played well, better than I expected. It looked like he was over-committing at times but otherwise was positionally sound. He looked confident in net and I think that he's gonna be a good goaltender.rnrn-The team played very well in the 1st period (clearly) even though Holtby gave up two softies, the Flam...
RyanHolmerB writes...
Calgary Flames vs. Columbus Blue Jackets preview + RECAP
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Twitter:[/b] @ProspectReport
After a long hiatus, I'm back to cover Calgary again.
What felt like an eternity, the summer is finally over and hockey is back. Calgary lost their opening night 5-4 to the Washington Capitals in a hard-fought game. There are a lot of positives to take away from last nights game. Calgary absolutely dominated the first period, and made...
[b]October 5[/b]
Welcome back Maple Leaf and King followers...
With my busy coaching and teaching schedule, it is going to be tough for me to express my thoughts on my beloved clubs after every game, so I will try and fill in at least once a week for a little "unbiased" recap. I use the term unbiased very loosely, obviously.
After being noticeably outplayed in the...
NHL is back! So much excitement in the air at the start of the season...
It's always fun reading about the team predictions set by the “pros” and of course the projected points to make your witty picks for your hockey pool(s). With a slow schedule to start the season off, there have been some surprises and some disappointments. Most teams merely want to stay health...
Watching the Sabres this year has been akin to having a 3 hour root canal on most nights, especially in the first few games when coach Rolston's 'system' of choice was to sit back and hope nothing would go wrong rather than being proactive and trying to make something go right.
There seem to be two styles of play employed league wide, and I would always rather the attac...
In defeating both the Calgary Flames and Phoenix Coyotes, the Ducks improved to 4-0 at home and 6-1 overall this season. While neither game was the blowout of the previous 2 games, both were hard fought victories for a Ducks team that won't quit.
I was only able to watch parts of the Ducks-Coyotes game (yes, I do have a social life outside of hockey, yes, a part of me w...
For those who are unaware of the situation in Lethbridge (Regardless of what Management believes), let me outline it for you before I couch GM a solution in just 5 easy steps.
I swear, one day I am going to start off one of these blogs in a good mood because the team I am writing about isn't an absolute nightmare. If you are reading this wondering,
[i]"Why are ...
MattBranidis writes...
How The Canucks Are Ruining The NHL For The Rest Of Us
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I am going to do anyone who is reading this article a huge favour, go to youtube and type thunderous hockey hits. Then sit back and enjoy the lost and continually dying art of the body check. These days there are many available links to hockey highlights that purport to show a huge must see hit, yet rarely am I impressed. Recent rule changes and the over enforcement of old...
This quote by head coach Todd McLellan pretty much sums up the game for the Sharks.
[quote]"We weren't the better team tonight and we have been on the other end of that where we were the better team and found a way not to win it. Tonight we found a way to come back."[/quote]
The Sharks weren't the better team, fact. Vancouver dominated most of the play for 50 minutes...
TheWad87 writes...
JML to Carolina?- Top Three Hurricanes the Leafs Can Acquire
Posted Monday | Comments 0
According to Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail, the Leafs and Carolina are discussing a trade that involves John Michael Liles. Earlier in the week, Darren Dreger reported the Leafs and Carolina were talking a Liles trade, but nothing was imminent.
Links: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Mike-Augello/Leafs-Holland-Not-A-Stop-Gap-Swapping-D-Men-Kessel-Has-The-Flu/120/5...
Jonathan Bernier has been nothing short of spectacular for the Maple Leafs this season. Yet, it would seem every couple of games, a goal is scored that would only happen in E division men's league. Are these house league horn sounders a tell-tale sign of things to come or just bad luck.
Bernier is one of the most fundamentally sound goaltender in the NHL. For a small g...
As it stands right now, this summer looks to have a large selection of UFA's for every position. Teams will have tight budgets, some are in serious trouble already and others are losing tons of players, which will mean a scramble to create a roster. I understand that it is early and that a lot of these players will resign. However lets go with the assumption that they a...
[b]December 8[/b]
[u]Same Old Story, Different Night [/u]
Once again, the Boston Bruins continue to show why they are the team to beat in the East, and of course the Toronto Maple Leafs know this sentiment all to well.
As a matter of fact, just give the Boston Bruins the Atlantic Division crown right now. There is no way the Maple Leafs will keep them from achievi...
tylercastro writes...
Three Straight Games with 6+ Goals for Blackhawks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Chicago Blackhawks come off their third win in a row against the Philadelphia Flyers Wednesday night at the United Center in Chicago. A 7-2 win caps off 3 games in four nights, outscoring opponents 19-6. Antti Raanta has taken over for Corey Crawford and has let in 2 goals in each of his starts/reliefs. Raanta has stopped 64 of 70 total shots in three games. The two Pa...
Jay Feaster is now out as the Calgary Flames GM. As well as assistant general manager, John Weisbrod. The Flames went 92-80-33 under Feaster since the 2010-2011 season, failing to make the playoffs, yet staying over .500. Brian Burke, President of Hockey made the decision Thursday morning, where he then called a meeting for nearly everyone in the organization. Players sai...
tylercastro writes...
PIT vs. CHI Stadium Series Tickets Sold Out after One Day
Posted Friday | Comments 0
We all know the top dominating team's of each conference of today's NHL. The Pittsburgh Penguins of the east, and the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks of the west. As of today the Penguins are 2nd in the Eastern Conference (21-10-1 43 points), under the Boston Bruins with 43 points, and the Blackhawks are 23-6-5, 51 points, and 1st in the Western Conferenc...
The Pittsburgh Penguins showoff their new jersey for the game that will be played on March 1st of the new year against the Chicago Blackhawks. The jersey will an away white, like normal, with strops on the mid-sleeve and bottom of the sweater. A tweet that I read earlier in the day compared the jersey to a familiar rivals, Boston Bruins jersey. It made it a whole lot more ...
tylercastro writes...
Chicago Blackhawks on the Other Side TOR 7 vs. CHI 3
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
For three straight games the Chicago Blackhawks scores 6+ goals in a game. The game against the Toronto Maple Leafs had a different story line to it. This match up was also about answering. The Maple Leafs answered the Blackhawk's goal 2 out of their 3. The first time Patrick Kane's second period goal was answered by Nikolai Kulemin 1:21 later. Next it was Phil Kessel answ...
tylercastro writes...
Back to the W's; Raanta, Toews give Kings a Setback
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Chicago Blackhawks do what they do best and don't let a bad games get any further than the night it was played. After the 7-3 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Hawks come out with 3 first period goals against the Los Angeles Kings, which no team had scored any first period goals against the LA in 18 games! Where does that come from? But anyone knows if any team had ...
A new thing i'm going to try is called, My "Team on the Move." This is going to be based on my opinion, of course. So my first team on the move is going to be... the Calgary Flames! Why not? The Flames have already played three games since the firing of Jay Feaster. They have earned at least 1 point in each of those three games. The exact record, 2-0-1. Calgary's leading s...
[b]December 21[/b]
[i]Kings Earn Shootout Victory in Battle with Avalanche[/i]
Happy Holidays to all you Kings (and hockey) fans out there!
In a rare afternoon matinee at Staples Center, fans in Los Angeles were treated to a very well-played, hard-fought game between the rising Colorado Avalanche and the experienced Kings.
Martin Jones once again came up big a f...
Word out there is that Leafs are coming real close to acquiring Jeff Skinner from the Hurricanes. Leafs may be sending Kadri and Reimer or Kadri and Gardiner in return. IMO, the first deal makes more sense for the Hurricanes as Kadri will replace Skinner and Reimer will help the Canes goalie problem. Although nothing has been set in stone, Carolina's earlier move today fre...
I just wanted to quickly write a quick congratulations to Cam Fowler for being named to the US Olympic Team! During the summer, he was named as one of the possibilities for Team USA, but I figured he was a long shot at best. While an excellent skater, his offense had all but dried up since his rookie season (1 goal and 11 points last season) and his defensive game still ha...
Karan2014 writes...
Gillis Says Canucks Are Not Interested in Rentals, Trades
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Vancouver Canucks general manager Mike Gillis says his team is not interested in acquiring a rental player or giving up one of their top prospects in a trade.
“We don’t like doing that [getting a rental player],” he told the TEAM 1040 on Thursday. “We’ve done it in the past, it hasn’t worked.
“We like players we think we can sign and keep that are going to ...
A lot of people are picking their Canadian Olympic hockey team, so I thought I would give my input. rn First I will start with the forward lines;rn 1st Line: Tavares-Crosby-Stamkos (If he is healthy by Sochi) rn2nd Line: Getzlaf-Toews-Perry rn3rd Line: Couture-Thornton-Giroux rn4th Line: Sharp-Bergeron-Duchene rnExtras: ...
Everyone always says Canada could ice two hockey teams so I'm going to choose the other guys. The ones people are leaving off their teams. So first let's go over the locks for the real team canada.
Goalies Lunogo and Price. Crawford?
Defence Weber, Doughty, Keith, Pietranglo, Vasic?, Bowmeester?, Seabrook?, Subban ?
Forwards Crosby, Toews, Bergeron, Getzlaf, Perry, S...
royalgardens writes...
Kings Win Battle of Recent Champs; Leafs Quit in Carolina
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]January 10[/b]
I am going to start with something good tonight.
First of all, I really enjoyed the Boston Bruins-Los Angeles Kings game. I always like it when those two teams get together.
This game had a little bit of everything; two recent Stanley Cup Champions going head to head, hard hits, determined fore checking, pretty goals, some big saves at both ends...
For every resounding fact that proves Dave Bolland is the heart of this team and a difference maker, there are opposites stats that prove otherwise about David Clarkson. Now I am not attempting to bash Clarkson, nor am I admitting he was a bad signing just yet. However, it's strange that with Clarkson in the lineup the Leafs seem to be a less productive team.
There are...
[b]Game Day Preview: 2/1/14 - 4PM EST
FLYERS (26-23-6) at KINGS (30-20-6)[/b]
[img]http://imageshack.com/a/img836/4536/rfic.jpg[/img]
The Flyers continue their three-game California road trip looking to improve on the start, losing 5-3 loss to the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday. The Flyers will look to improve their power play. They lead the NHL with most goals against w...
In light of the recent NHL hiatus I, like many hockey fans, have turned my attention towards the Winter Olympic Games that are currently taking place in Sochi, Russia. Similar to the food for thought being offered by legions of armchair GM’s around the world of hockey, I thought I would weigh in with my predictions of how this prestigious tournament will play itself out....
In light of the recent NHL hiatus I, like many hockey fans, have turned my attention towards the Winter Olympic Games that are currently taking place in Sochi, Russia. Similar to the food for thought being offered by legions of armchair GM’s around the world of hockey, I thought I would weigh in with my predictions of how this prestigious tournament will play itself out....
Before I get started on this short writeup, I do realize the comments that have come out recently and that there's MAYBE a 1% chance of this actually happening.
I'm totally in favor of the Pens making a run at Kesler. Without a doubt he's one of the best two-way forwards in the game and has one of the most cap-friendly contracts given what he returns on the ice.
F...
The Hurricanes are going to miss the playoffs again.
This is less of a prediction and more of an inescapable reality at this point. One could spend days dissecting this team in an effort to understand why the Hurricanes have only made the playoffs once in the past 8 seasons but rather than sitting here and tossing blame about like the overzealous poo-flinging monkeys w...
Since the departure of Mats Sundin the Leafs have been barking loudly that they are on the hunt for a top line centre. From the sorry excuses of Nik Antropov, Matt Stajan and Joey Crabb, to the decent installment of Tyler Bozak the leafs have still not filled this gap.
I totally agree that the Leafs Defence needs to be upgraded. However, Rome wasn't built in a day. If ...
Long time Hurricanes writer, Luke DeCock says it's time to blow up the Canes. Ok, I get his reasoning. The Canes have been on the play-off fringe for years and, despite their higher investment level this year, nothing has changed. The fact is, they are just not good enough and haven't been for years. Might be time to look at the front office. Jim Rutherford is a brilliant ...
Say what you will about fans of the Montreal Canadiens. Sometimes they're overly optimistic. Sometimes they're irrationally pessimistic. But they're always passionate. News of the acquisition of Thomas Vanek sent Habs fans across the country into parade planning mode, and while the Cup may still be a pipedream for this club, Vanek gives this fanbase, which hasn't had all t...
The Washington Capitals will not make the playoffs.
If you just come out and say it, it feels so much better. Cathartic.
The trade deadline was supposed to answer a few problems the Caps had within their team, and General Manager George McPhee answered a couple of those problems in trading Martin Erat and Michal Neuvirth. Both players expressed disinterest in their rol...
The long awaited debut for Evgeny Kuznetsov will finally take place tonight in Washington against their rivals from Pittsburgh. Kuznetsov was drafted 26th overall in the 2010 NHL Draft. He has since been playing in the KHL for Traktor Chelyabinsk where he has 65 goals and 146 points in 210 games. Kuznetsov helped Russia win gold during the 2011 World Junior and took home t...
Boy, that cushion disappeared fast.
Once considered near locks for the playoffs, Montreal now find itself in one of the two wild card spots after a single win in their last five games. Over that stretch, backup Peter Budaj and AHL starter Dustin Tokarski have allowed eighteen goals, or 3.6 per game. At the time of year when playoff teams look to gain home ice and bubble...
Always Mighty writes...
Injuries to Fowler and Bonino leave holes for others to fill
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
On the eve of their biggest game of the season so far, the Ducks have announced that Cam Fowler, their best defenseman all season long, will be sidelined for the next 3 to 5 weeks with a sprained left MCL. Coming into this season it was unclear if Fowler would be able to take the next step and become a top pairing defenseman for the Ducks, and he has answered that with a r...
Most writers and pundits have already concluded that it's a given that Randy will not be coaching the Leafs next year. Some are wondering why he hasn't been fired yet.
I don't get the passion about replacing Carlyle. This is a team that folded[b] 3 years in a row[/b] with the same core of players.
Soon you're going to hear that Ron Wilson is conspiring with Randy to mak...
As I was listening to the new and improved Hockeybuzzcast and hearing the sparkling reviews and praise for the Columbus Blue Jackets especially from Josh Rimer. I knew I had to check this series out.
Now, even though the Blue Jackets couldn't put together a full 60 minute effort and come out on top in this game, I was thoroughly impressed. And for a lot of reasons I ...
[img]http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/YJBErx8hGR4/0.jpg[/img]rnrnrnThe hit by Chicago's Brent Seabrook on St. Louis captain David Backes in game 2 was a clean hit that resulted in a game misconduct, and three game suspension for Seabrook. rnrnBackes was coming around the boards from behind the net. He touched the puck, but flew by leaving it in the corner to be picked up by Chicago...
Here are some off season moves that I believe will happen from the time that the 14’ Draft begins to end of July/August.
If the Buffalo Sabers are able to draft Aaron Ekblad (70/30 chance because Florida will do that Florida thing it does and not take the best player) with the second over all pick, expect to see [b]Christian Ehrhof[/b]f traded to the western conferenc...
Game One in Boston did not disappoint. The former Northeast (now Atlantic) division rivals traded blows with the Canadiens opening up a two-goal lead early in the second period on Rene Bourque's team leading fourth goal of the playoffs. The home-town Bruins roared back in the third, dominating the puck and out-shooting their opponents by a startling margin. This play e...
Game One in Boston did not disappoint. The former Northeast (now Atlantic) division rivals traded blows with the Canadiens opening up a two-goal lead early in the second period on Rene Bourque's team leading fourth goal of the playoffs. The home-town Bruins roared back in the third, dominating the puck and out-shooting their opponents by a startling margin. This play e...
[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...
So the rumor de jour for Flames fans is that Vincent Lecavalier could land in Stampede city. Tim Panaccio Brought this up recently and is the source of this rumor.
Why it makes sense: Burke identified a number 1 center as part of the off season targets, Lecavalier is now removed from being considered a #1 but as far as Flames skill level there are worse guys out there t...
It has been a busy couple of months for Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, since he took control of hockey operations from Jim Rutherford. First order of business for Ronnie was to dismiss the coaching staff after the abysmal performance last year. Not much debate needed there. Kirk Muller, et al, never really got it done ...
[url]http://capitals.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=723988[/url]
July 1st 2014 began very horribly for Colorado Avalanche fans as they found out Centre Paul Stastny signed a 4 year (overpaid) contract with rival St. Louis Blues.
As the day went on, the Avalanche made a few moves that could be questionable yet could turn out to be great.
What Colorado got:
Jesse Winchester, 30, had 18 points (9g/9a) in 52 games for the Florida...
Today's FA extravaganza and the week or so leading up to it showed me a couple of things, as a Habs fan, that maybe the years of the two-headed soap opera that was the Gainey-Gauthier regime made me forget was even possible. I saw a management team go about the business of managing a professional sports team with the aim of making the team better, as well as more financial...
Brian_Sloane writes...
Flyers Free Agency Thoughts / Giroux Being an Ass (Get it?)
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Happy Independence Day! Here we are, a few days into Free Agency 2014, and guess what? The Flyers have not made any crazy big trade, or signed an aging free agent past his prime to a deal worth too much money. What is going on here!? This is what happens when the salary cap limit works against a team. We have not been used to seeing anything like this in a few years. Sure,...
The title really isn't as far fetched as you may think. Many, ok most, think we are a bottom 5 team. It is hard to not agree based on what last year brought. Hell the past couple years of decline. But this year has the potential to be different, and by different I mean not as bleak as everyone thinks. Here's why:
-New management +/- 0 call it a wash
-New Coach with the...
The draft has come and gone, most free agents have found their new homes, and now there are just three months until October 8th when the Flyers open their 2014-2015 season in Boston.
However, during these next three months there are some questions that need answers for the orange and black. Here are three.
[b]Will Vinny Lecavalier still be a Flyer?[/b]
The word a...
The Montreal Canadiens, especially general manager Marc Bergevin, are being praised for making the final four and finally becoming a major contender in the Eastern Conference. Even though the habs took huge steps forward with a much needed successful season, the pressure will surely mount as a hockey mad city is sure to have their expectations through the roof next season....
I know what every bruins fan is thinking right now, when are we going to make a move other then signing unnecessary depth players such as Caron. There are two reasons we should have never signed Caron. 1st is Why would we want to keep Caron he has done absolutely nothing for us. 2nd is why would he want to stay in Boston where he has proven he hasn't reached his full poten...
jtallas7 writes...
Why The Bruins Off-Season Revolves Around Krug and Smith
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Bruins have been virtually non-existent during this off-season. We have signed a bunch of useless depth players who will hopefully never have to play a minute during the season. These signings have left us with around 3m left in cap space. This is barely enough to sign either of the top 2 priority's , Krug and Smith. The worst part about that is if you can only sign on...
My good friend BHTD9 came to me with the idea of coming up with some predictions for next season today and I have to say I was intrigued. To be fair, I'm not as solid on my western conference material. Guaranteed there'll be a few disagreements here. That said, lets give it a shot then.
Last Years Standings
Colorado - 112
St. Louis - 111
Chicago - 107
Minnesota - ...
The Leafs adding David Booth was a great success. T.O. needed another left winger, and snagged a decent one at a very modest price tag. Admittedly, Booth struggled to produce with the Canucks, but if he can reach the stats he found during his time with the Panthers he can be a dangerous player for the Leafs deep into their line up.
Reimer re-signing,especially with the ...
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...
For NHL GM's the real challenge is, and always will be, getting your money's worth (or more) for your team.
The complex problem they face is this - who do you pay a 'premium' salary and who gets the 'average' salary?
Since Pascal Dupuis is a common target on the Penguins Hockeybuzz forum...I'll use him as an example. For this comparison I will use simple statistics f...
As we get closer to the start of training camp, the Philadelphia Flyers prepare for a “bridge season” before their most prized defensive prospects are ready to don the orange and black. This past off-season has been a quiet one for the Flyers due to their cap problems but with the news of Kimmo Timonen's blood clots, they have recently signed Michael Del Zotto to a 1 y...
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[b]A Glance Back[/b]
I don’t think anybody could have predicted the outcome of the brutally nicknamed metro-terrible division last season. Columbus impressed while the Capitals faltered. The Penguins took a dip in the playoffs while the Rangers surprised many after a rough start. Other teams sort of slotted right into thei...
[b]Follow me on Twitter @DailyNHLGRIND
A Glance Back[/b]
I don’t think anybody could have predicted the outcome of the brutally nicknamed metro-terrible division last season. Columbus impressed while the Capitals faltered. The Penguins took a dip in the playoffs while the Rangers surprised many after a rough start. Other teams sort of slotted right into their right...
stljam writes...
With the D list partly cloudy, the F roster is densely foggy
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
As I discussed in my prior blog, the picture for the Blues defensive corps for 2014-15 is fairly clear with Cole, Prosser and Butler fighting to sort out the scraps unless there are injuries or trades. The forward picture is a lot more crowded and a lot less clear with likely only fourteen roster spots available. Some might argue there are nineteen NHL capable or soon to...
The Blues came out strong in the first period, outplaying and outshooting the Hurricanes fourteen to six in the first period with little to show for it. Even with their strong play, they were unable to get a puck past stingy netminder Cam Ward. They were however rewarded at the end of the period with Vladimir Tarasenko and David Backes drawing penalties, allowing them to...
Along with a new season of hockey, starts the season of hockey betting. I use the site www.sportsinteration.com. There is a minimum of $2 per bet.
[b]Montreal at Toronto[/b]
Montreal +1.5 1.34 Toronto -1.5 3.35
Montreal 1.91 Toronto 1.91
Over 5.5 2.05 Under 5.5 1.80
I will be taking the over at $2.05
The first game...
I’m unbelievably high on what Barry Trotz can do for this team so let me start off by clearing that up. Two young men who are in the lineup for tonight’s season opener are going to reap the rewards of having a veteran coach, who for one of the first times in his career actually has a talent filled lineup and a chance to do damage with it.
Surrounded by a mix of ta...
Greetings and happy Canadian Thanksgiving!
[b]Game 4 - Habs vs Bolts
[/b]
If you are like me, then you watched that train-wreck of a game until it was over. I'm sorry you had to see that. There are games that we enjoy as fans, and then there are those like tonight where our time would have been better spent cleansing our colons. The end result would have been the same...
Greetings,
[b]Habs vs Bruins[/b]
Anyone else love the Dryden to Price torch hand-off?
In the world of sports there are very few rivalries that sparks such intense emotions than Bruins vs Habs. Am I happy with the outcome? Yes. Am I happy with how the game went? Nope. But let's break that down, shall we?
I'm getting this out of the way right away. I didn't like ...
AarifDeen writes...
GOALIES DOWN: Avs blow 3-1 lead - Lose Berra To Injury
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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The Ottawa Senators stormed the Avs in the third period to come away with a 5-3 victory on Thursday night. The Avs' loss came with rookie goaltender Calvin Pickard losing his first career NHL contest in his first appearance.
Earlier in the day the Avs announced starting goalie Semyon Varlamov would be a g...
Greetings,
[b]Habs [/b][b]vs [/b][b]Avs[/b]
Before I get into the actual game, I would like to say congrats to Pierre Gervais on 2500 games in the NHL. I've never heard of an equipment manger as loved, nor a team throwing one a ceremony before, but hats off to the Habs on celebrating what has been a hard working and accomplished career so far. Keep in mind he's won a...
Greetings,
[b]Habs vs Wings[/b]
So this edition of the Habs has done something that hasn't been done since the 77/78 season, which is to win 6 of 7 to start a season. This torrid pace might not be sustainable for 82 games, but every point now is money in the bank when things get tight near the end of the season.
I'll be the first to admit I began to feel a little ...
It’s easy to write-off the Carolina Hurricanes already this season. Winless thus far, the Hurricanes head west for a critical western swing. Just what they need to put the final nail in the coffin, right? It has been a tough start to the season for the Canes, battling a raft of injuries to top players, decimating an already talent-light roster. And, trade rumors have b...
Update to add JR's projected lineup.
Just a quick hit for you all in case it wasn't posted around.
According to Canucks.com - Although an official announcement was not made, the early indications after yesterday's optional practice suggested that Miller would get the call for tonight's tilt.
With Miller in net, I really am disappointed I can't attend tonight's g...
AarifDeen writes...
A Night That Was Long Overdue – Avs Score 7 Goals, Route Van
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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It was only a matter of time. The Colorado Avalanche finally unleashed the offensive weapons and defeated the Vancouver Canucks 7-3. It was the night of story lines for the Avs. But more importantly, it was a night they desperately needed.
Coach Roy made it very clear after the loss Tuesday night tha...
Greetings!
[b]Habs vs Rangers[/b]
Before I start I need to rant a little.
WTF is up with CBC/Sportsnet with only playing Leaf games on Hockey Night in Canada?!? Seriously, if I wanted to watch a mind numbing show I would turn on the Kardashians and slowly wait for my brain cells to die. It would hurt less...
Now on to the Habs.
You would have to go back 50 y...
I don't even know where to start with this except for just stating my opinion. I really don't think that Fucale is as good as everyone has been saying he is. Yes I know, start the criticizing please. I've said before to people that Fucale is only as good as the team that's playing around him. That being said, he's not a bad goalie by any means. I just feel that he is simpl...
After coming within a bounce of a second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Finals to face a team they'd have likely beaten, the Blackhawks have to have high hopes for this season. General Manager Stan Bowman stuck to his usual status quo during this past offseason, avoiding any huge personnel moves. Bowman either has a difficult job, as it's difficult to make big moves wi...
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[/b]
The Avalanche lost 5-2 to the Canucks on Tuesday after scoring the first two goals of the game.
They came out with an early jump and got on the board quick. John Mitchell received a nice pass from Alex Tanguay and lasered one past Ryan Miller for the goal just over a minute into the contest. It was his se...
AarifDeen writes...
Ovechkin scores late, Capitals beat the Avs by one goal
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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Colorado was back on the ice Thursday night after four days off and was beaten by the Capitals 3-2. The Pepsi Center crowd, which was graced by the presence of Hall of Famer Peter Forsberg, witnessed a hard-hitting, back-and-forth contest that was decided when Ovechkin scored with under 6 minutes remaining o...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs erase slow start to defeat Carolina 4-3 with Pickard
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
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Ladies and gentleman, the cardiac kids are back. Colorado was down two goals twice tonight and roared back to win 4-3 against the Hurricanes at the Pepsi Center. Reto Berra started the game but was pulled late in the first period after surrendering three goals on 10 shots. With Varlamov still suffering from ...
What, on earth, do you do with this hockey club?
I hear a lot of "no-donts" online about them. Let's face it, the last time they had success, that success' name was Chris Pronger, and his wife nagged him to Anaheim. Since then, they've been nothing but a train-stop in a dead city.
I'm not going to give some pretentious thorough evaluation of the team. ...
The duel for back-up in Denver seems to be over, though it is not 100% sure what Colorado will do. Just a few weeks ago, Calvin Pickard was re-assigned to Lake Erie even though he had played out of him mind for the Colorado Avalanche. The young goaltender was sent back due to the fact that Semyon Varlamov was healthy and Reto Berra was their number two. Their other reason ...
It’s hard to believe, but almost half of the NHL season is already in the books. At this moment, the Anaheim Ducks lead the league with 54 points. Tampa Bay leads the Eastern Conference. Montreal is currently #4 in the East, while Toronto is currently in playoff contention in the #7 spot. Winnipeg and Vancouver occupy the #6th and #7th spots respectively in the Western C...
royalgardens writes...
In Shanahan We Trust? Carlyle Clearly Not the Right Choice?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
So Randy Carlyle has finally bitten the dust.
I had a good idea that one day I would be reading about the news here in Chicago at some point, but the timing to me makes no sense. The Leafs may as well bring in John Tortorella and really have some fun! I got a kick out of the TSN 1050 guys from this evenings chat talking about what a field day the media would have if To...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs lose in Washington; Roy unhappy with penalty call
Posted Monday | Comments 0
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Colorado saw its three game winning streak come to an end Monday night after losing a 2-1 battle to the Capitals at Verizon Center. Washington won after scoring the first goal, which they have done so many times this season. The only team with a better winning percentage after scoring first is Montreal.
A...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
Colorado was dominated once again in the shot category on Tuesday night in Carolina. The Hurricanes won 3-2 in the shootout and Calvin Pickard had to make 44 saves in his first NHL start in nearly three weeks.
The Avs were playing their second of a back-to-back and came away with a single point after losi...
rnrnMinors, majors, up and downs, career 4th liner to top line on one of the best teams in the Eastern Conferece - what has Dale Weise done to get there and stay there?rnrnBrought over in a trade from Vancouver for Raphael Diaz, Weise had been a grinder, sticking his chin into situations attempting to change momentum for his team. Drafted 111th overall in '08 by the Range...
If you are not a Carolina Hurricanes fan, you likely view the Canes as another sad sack team struggling at the bottom of the standings. But, amidst all the trade rumors swirling around the Hurricanes these days, they have quietly put together an extended string of solid outings since the start of 2015 (9-3-3). Their latest effort was a hard-fought 5-4 win over the San Jo...
Former NHL defenseman was found dead at his Mississuaga home this morning. Montador played in the NHL last for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2011-12 season but also had stints with the Flames, Panthers, Ducks, Bruins, Sabres and Zagreb Medvescak (KHL). In his 10 seasons in the NHL, Montador recorded 33 goals, 131 points and 807 penalty minutes in 571 games. In the 2011-12 seas...
[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...
LazarBeam writes...
Sens Call Up Puempel, Send Down Prince Before Panthers Game
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After a two game NHL stint, Shane Prince has been sent back to Binghamton of the American Hockey League for further development. In his place will be Matt Puempel, first round pick of the same year Shane Prince was selected in the second round and JG Pageau was nabbed in the fourth.
Prince got an opportunity on the third line after MacArthur was injured, and was definit...
LazarBeam writes...
Post-Game Review: Turris' Three Points Lead Sens over FLA
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nhl/florida-panthers/hq5kye/picture10909145/ALTERNATES/LANDSCAPE_1140/Panthers%20Senators%20Hockey%20(3)[/img]
Final Score: 4 -1 Sens
The Sens ended their five game home-stand Saturday night with their third win, going 3-1-1. Over the last five games at home the Senators scored 22 goals, a 4.4 average well above their 2.8 on the...
CanesTR writes...
Trade Deadline Update - Hurricanes Ready to Pull the Trigger
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Amidst wild speculation that the Pittsburgh Penguins were in discussion with the Carolina Hurricanes about a possible deal to bring back Jordan Staal, Hurricanes GM Ron Francis moved quickly to deny any such thing was happening, pronouncing "We are not moving Jordan!" At the same time, Ronnie Franchise was quick to confirm that the disposition of the current UFAs, specifi...
The Penguins got a solid victory against bitter rival Washington Wednesday night. They avoided being swept by the Capitals in their always-competitive season series. Chris Kunitz knocked home a Blake Comeau rebound with 13 minutes remaining in the third period to give the Pens their decisive fourth goal.
That score gave Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead. With about four minutes to...
DVSP got bumped quickly to the 2nd line last night in Columbus. He didn't do anything too exciting but a couple of nice chances, a few hits and some blocked shots (a -2 doesn't help but) you can't ask for much more in your first game.
The starting line is solid. Patches and Gallagher are here, signed up and locked in for a while. We could use an upgrade at top line cen...
LazarBeam writes...
Hammond, Sens continue to dominate | Thoughts & News
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Boston beat New Jersey tonight in OT and the Sens are now 7 points behind with 2 games in hand and only Florida and Philly between them and the final playoff spot.
Sens beat Kings 1-0, Hammond gets shutout
Since Hammond has come in the Sens have won four straight and look like they could jump a few teams in the standings soon. Our schedule is a few games behind the...
The Blues continued recent trends in their 2 -1 victory over the host Edmonton Oilers, winning their second road game in a row on Canadian soil and handing the Oilers their third straight home loss. it also kept Elliott undefeated against Canadian teams this year.
In the victory, the Blues failed to score more than two goals yet again even though they were facing an Oi...
So I was bored and I came up with the "ideal" cap scenario for an NHL team. Assuming that the average GAA is about 2.5 and there are 82 games, a team would need to score 205 goals to be league average. I also assumed that the salary cap would be $70 million, I then assumed offense is worth 50% of the cap, defense is worth 40% and the goalies 10%.
[b][u]FORWARDS[/u][/b]
...
thesnirk writes...
Advance Stats: Making bad look good and good look bad.
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Oh the Advance stats. How far they have come. From a bunch of non-jocks writing blogs to the NHL publishing them on nhl.com. Some call it a major advancement. Other say who really cares.
I fall into the who cares side of it. While they might have some use, I think too much value is being put in these number. A good example of this is the Battle of Alberta. I live right...
The contracts the Sabres have on the books for the 2015-2016 season, by position.
LW – E. Kane $5.25M, M. Moulson $5M, Foligno $1.875M, Deslauriers $.6375M (the only full position) [b]TOTAL $12.7625M[/b]
C – Z. Girgensons $.894167M, J. Larsson $.950M, C. McCormick $1.5M [b]TOTAL $3.344167M[/b]
RW – T. Ennis $4.6M, C. Hodgson $4.25M, B. Gionta $4.25M [b]TOTAL $13...
Seeing the highlights of the Calgary Toronto game last night and the tremendous performance (amid the embarassment that is the Maple Leafs this season) of Sean Monahan and his line, it had me thinking back to the 2013 draft.
The Buffalo Sabres needed forward help in the worst way. The situation was dire, although in hindsight, dire would only be an applicable word to th...
Dearest Oiler fans,
I think this relationship needs some honesty. I know you're not the best at listening to it but I have to try anyway. I miss our battles, I miss when beating the Oilers meant something. I miss have a close head to head win loss count. I miss you being talented. I miss you having courageous fans.
How much does it burn (pun intended 100%) that Johnn...
First this great comment from a winning coach. My Favorite quote of the year.
"All those beautiful stats, they're not worth nothing once the score is up there and the game is over. That's the most important stat and tonight they got one goal more than us,"
Bob Hartley (as per TSN) after out shooting Columbus 40-26 and loosing in overtime.
Ok with that...
The Penguins, playing terrible of late, failed to defeat the lowly Hurricanes, who previously had six goals in their last seven games. Carolina won by a score of 5-2.
Carolina star center Eric Staal had a goal and two assists and was named first star of the game and goaltender Cam Ward made 27 saves as Carolina, currently in the cellar of the Metropolitan Division, defe...
HarrisonHamm writes...
Penguins earn an important victory against the Coyotes 3-2
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Evgeni Malkin and Patric Hornqvist were back in the lineup for a game that was important for two reasons: One was that the Pens had been playing horribly (losing to terrible Carolina on Thursday), and they needed a victory. They got it against another lowly team, the Arizona Coyotes.
Despite not scoring until 7:16 of the third period, when Daniel Winnik scored, the Peng...
One has to believe watching Carey play that the Stanley Cup is not too far off. It is a perfect script. He has done it all and then some. He now stands alone atop the Montreal Canadian goaltenders for total wins in a single season with 43 to date surpassing the likes of Plante and Dryden. What a remarkable achievement!
Since being drafted he has won a Calder Trophy, a g...
[b]Does every NHL team have a drafting identity?? [/b]
When discussing prospects/potential selections I've heard multiple categories used to describe the reasonings for why an NHL team will select who they will select... these include:
1. BPA - Best Player Available
2. Organizational needs
3. Safe pick
4. Transferable NHL skills/size
5. Previous chemistry with othe...
A few weeks ago I posed a question to my fellow flames fans “If the flames make the playoffs does the idea of a rebuild change?” This led to some heated discussions with some people throughout the thread that viewed the idea as completely ludicrous. For those who don’t know me I have a couple of values that I find to be very important, one never say something bad ab...
As a reward for winning the Atlantic Division and claiming home ice advantage for at least the first 2 rounds the Canadians get to face one of, if not, the hottest teams in the NHL. The Senators have been on a tear and against insurmountable odds completed an historic comeback claiming a spot in the 2015 playoffs. This alone is a tremendous story and everyone who loves spo...
stefm45 writes...
Being a Hockey fan in Sunny South Africa (Yes South Africa)
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
To say its difficult is an understatement. With the extremely early mornings or late nights (huge time difference) and the lack of coverage down here it is hard. I am writing this piece for my blog to give people in America and Canada and anywhere else (if you are South African... Wow) an insights into a fan's perspective who lives in a country that barely recognises Ice...
Reddevil45 writes...
Nashville Preds against Chicago Blackhawks:Series Prediction
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The first Western Conference series will be between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Nashville Predators. The Predators will have home ice in the series but looked shaky towards the end of the season. The Blackhawks will get a boost to their ever strong offense with Patrick Kane (64P, 61GP) back from injury. Both teams ended the season with only four wins in their last ten g...
Reddevil45 writes...
Calgary Flames against Vancouver Canucks:Series Prediction
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Two rivals from Western Canada surprised many by making the playoffs this season. They are the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames. Both teams haven’t won a playoff series since they made the Stanley Cup. The Canucks made it more recently in 2011 when they lost to the Boston Bruins and the Flames made it in 2004 when they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Flames ...
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Hello everybody and thank you for reading once again. It has been a couple months since I've had a chance to write, but exams ended just in time for me to trek back home to Ottawa for games 3 & 4. I just arrived home from the second OT loss in a row...
The Edmonton Oilers are set to draft Connor McDavid 1st overall after winning the lottery last Saturday. Now we're wondering who else completes the top 5 ? So many solid prospects to choose from. I'll do a mock draft of the first five picks.rnrn
[b]1. EDM: Connor McDavid,Center.[/b] A no brainer at this point. The Oilers will have amazing depth at center for years to co...
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Welp. This morning we saw how Dave Cameron will be lining them up tonight when the Sens will avoid the sweep.
MacArthur-Turris-Stone
Michalek-Zibanejad-Ryan
Condra-Pageau-Lazar
Hoffman-Smith-Neil
Its fair to say Hoffman will ha...
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Wow.
I've got to start this off with the most important thing that happened tonight: I called that Hoffman goal. It may not be impressive since he is our leading goal scorer, but hey, if it was so obvious why didn't Cameron move him up from the fourth line earlier? Like maybe ...
Reddevil45 writes...
NY Rangers against Washington Capitals: Series Prediction
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
In New York the Washington Capitals will stay. This time it is against the Rangers. The two goaltenders Henrik Lundqvist and Braden Holtby have been two of the best goaltenders in the playoffs this season. Lundqvist has a Sv% of .939 and a GAA of 1.53. Holtby has a Sv% of .943 and a GAA of 1.63. Lundqvist conceded more than one goal in one game in a 4-3 loss to the Penguin...
Reddevil45 writes...
Calgary Flames against Anaheim Ducks:Series Prediction
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
After the Flames qualified for their first postseason since 2009 they won their first playoff round since they made the Stanley Cup Final in 2004. Their opponent this time is the Western Conference champions the Anaheim Ducks a team they have not beaten at the Honda Center in their last 20 straight regular season games (0-15-5) and 2 out of 3 in the 2006 playoffs. Both the...
Reddevil45 writes...
Montreal Canadiens against TB Lightning: Series Prediction
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round. The last time these two met was in last year’s Stanley Cup 1st round where The Canadiens swept the Lightning. When they met Ben Bishop missed the series due to a dislocated elbow, which proved to be one of the main reasons for them getting swept. Bishop didn’t play at his best in the 1st six games...
I woke up to a text yesterday morning from a good friend that read, “WHO IS DAVE HAKSTOL?”
Admittedly, I had no idea but a mere second later when I opened Twitter I knew he had just become the 19th head coach in Philadelphia Flyers history.
In an off-season that is just over a month old for the Flyers, rumors swirled and swirled about former Sharks coach Todd M...
Most Flames fans are salivating at the possibilities of our ever evolving hockey club. Last year, we made the playoffs and actually won a round! With the emergence of John Gaudreau(anyone notice his FB fan page?) as a top flight winger, Sean Monahan posting career highs in goals and points, Sam Bennett delivering some early post season magic, it begs the question, so far, ...
Every team is looking to trade up. I mean, I had a choice when I looked into my freezer this morning: plain Eggos or Cinnamon Toast Eggos. The longer you look at them, the more tempted you are. You have to think it's always an option and virtually every team (except Edmonton) is a candidate.
Also, teams always seem to covet picks that are slated to go three to five...
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...
KABOOM.
Many have speculated and this week starts the changing of the guard in the NHL. The LA’s, Chicago’s, and Boston have run into a huge obstacle… Namely the salary cap. With so many teams rebuilding, retooling and shifting gears this week promises to be the beginning of the most active off season in over a decade. So what can we expect?
Anaheim – One mu...
Now before people go off half cocked just remember all of these teams had a chance to negotiate contracts with these players for fair market value before the day after the NHL draft or file for arbitration.
As soon as an offersheet is put down as an NHL GM i would look at the other RFA's on the team and find the one I like and put an offer sheet down.
So here is how ...
I have a dream.... that the Oilers can get impact young d-men to help with their cause now...rnrnSeem like a bit of a stretch? Maybe, but there might be a few trade scenarios that could work well for both sides, therefor making it a viable deal, even in this cap-crazy world we call the NHL.rnrnFirst off, let me just say that I love all the Oilers young forwards. I believe ...
BALUCHA writes...
What If Draft Selections... Washington Capitals Edition
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Over the last 15 years, the Washington Capitals have amassed 21 first-round draft picks. Count ‘em, 21. Most of which are still with the team, others traded for other picks and considerations.
They could have made some better moves, but it goes to show first round picks success is a numbers game. The more you have, the better chances you have of landing a star. De...
Welcome to the new era of Calgary Flames hockey. Yesterday, a coup took place in the eyes of most of the hockey world. No, we didn't make a deal for the Oilers lottery pick, we didn't even pry the second pick from the Sabres. What we did was achieve the improbable, if not the impossible. We parlayed, what was a middling first round pick, coupled with two second round picks...
[u][b]Evaluating The Canucks: Defense[/b][/u]
To put it frankly, the Canucks defense is about as mediocre and unexciting you can get. No on the roster can be considered a cornerstone franchise defenseman. They lack a flashy puck mover that can excite the fans. They don't have a prototypical physical shutdown d-man that intimidates the opposition and clears the net on ...
It is no secret, the Canucks are nowhere near as good as they were when they won back to back presidents' trophies back in 2011 and 2012. They have done nothing in the past four seasons to make us think otherwise. Poor drafting and team management has led the Canucks to the inevitable. That is of course, the dreaded rebuild. The time frame for the rebuild falls in sync...
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...
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...
What do the Bruins do now with their D-Core....
there's a couple options they have, some of them however make us Bruins fans a little nervous.
1. Stay Status Quo: With the number of bodies they have signed the Bruins could leave things status quo and see if the group of young guns can do. that would leave Chara, Seidenberg, Krug, Mcquaid as 4 of the top 6 leaving ...
I am a Canucks fan and I look at their current roster and I can't help but think someone's gotta go.
Forwards
Daniel
Henrik
Vrbata
Burrows
Higgins
Bonino
Vey
Horvat
Hansen
Dorsett
Prust
Kenins
Baertschi (though still unsigned assumed he's a lock for the team)
Thats 13 one-way contracts at forward and team management saying they want to give Virtanen a ...
In this article I will outline the top three teams' in the Eastern Conference entering the 2015-16 season. There's some moves still to be made, but I believe that the majority of the blockbuster deals are completed.
5. New York Islanders: ( 47-28-7 : 101 Points)
The Islanders finished the 2014-15 season with a first round elimination at the hands of the Washington...
The 2014-2015 season gave Habs fans a lot to think about, after the Regular Season success and a unwanted, but half expected early exit from the Playoffs.rnrnThis article will cover the play of Carey Price and how NHL Fans view the All Star.
The most common question revolves on the success of the Habs laying strictly on the Goaltender. If that is the case, the play of P...
I'll be the first to tell you that I didn't necessarily go out and buy a Semin jersey when Marc Bergevin gave him a 1 year deal with Le Bleu Blanc et Rouge. Actually, I probably have the worst luck when buying Habs jerseys/T-shirts. After I purchase them, the player of choice for my new gear typically gets traded, sign elsewhere, or bought out (Prust, Komisarek, Laraque). ...
We are 30 Days away from the beginning of the 2015-2016 NHL Season. Summer is coming to an end, and we are all looking forward to puck drop. We still need to go through the steps of the off season before we get excited. For Habs fans, we welcome the Golf Tournament, Medical Checks, Training Camp and Pre-Season Games. If we could fast forward to October 7th, and skip the ev...
The Marc Bergevin machine is now fully operational, next year we will see what he has been working on for some time. Alex Semin, Dale Weise, Tom Gilbert and yes, Thomas Plekanec will all be UFAs, Semin and Gilbert will most likely be let go making room for youth. However, with the way the organization is setup, Bergevin is now in a position of power, he can extend the cont...
rangerdanger94 writes...
Hockeybuzz Fanstove: Who will win the Eastern Conference?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Welcome to the first edition of the Hockeybuzz Fanstove.
This series, inspired by the successful Hockeybuzz Hotstove, will share the views of regular posters.
For our first question, we will tackle the Hotstove’s most recent question: who will win the Eastern Conference?
[b]mdw7413[/b]
I think it will be a toss-up between the Rangers, Bolts and Penguins if th...
The Vancovuer Canucks have gone from the leagues best team, to an outdated veteran roster that requires a serious rebuild. The team is still competitive, but is not capable of making a run for the Stanley Cup with their current roster. The core of the team is closing in on their last few NHL seasons.
The Sedin twins have been the best players on the Canucks roster f...
Hockey is back and everything seems right again. In my opinion, preseason is one of the best times of the year. Seeing the prospects (and potential future of an organization) vying for a spot alongside guys in new sweaters and returning faces has always given me a fresh outlook and optimism for the upcoming season.
Coming into this year, I have the same optimism I hav...
In this article, I will outline which teams I believe will ice the top special team's index's this upcoming season. For those who are unsure what a special team index is; It is a number developed by adding both the PK% and the PP% of a specific team. As a reference point, last season the St. Louis Blues had the best index at 106, while the Sabres posted the worst index a...
The Pittsburgh Penguins have made it very clear that they are committed to dominating via an overpowering offence. They have a very deep core of forwards, many of which are able to play top six minutes. Unfortunately for some of these guys, this depth is going to drastically cut their ice time.
When we look at the top six for the Pens, we instantly notice the big tw...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 6- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Chicago Blackhawks
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Quick Notes
1. Its the first time these teams will face each other since the blockbuster trade this summer. It is the first time the Blackhawks will face Brandon Saad in a Blue Jackets uniform, and the first time the Jackets will face Artem Anisimov in a Hawks uniform.
2. Same Lineup, Different Goalie- After last night's loss and since it is two games in two nights, ...
The debut for Brandon Saad at United Center did not end up good for the Blue Jackets. The final score of the game was 4-1, bringing the Blue Jackets to their worst start in franchise history. The Jackets are now the only winless team in the league.
For the winning team, the Chicago Blackhawks scored 4 goals in the final 40 minutes of the game. Patrick Kane, Marian Hoss...
Joey Joining Fray
Apparently, Ryan Johansen is expected to return to the lineup on Friday in the Verizon Center. Johansen was out for both of the Jackets victories this season. Joey was supposedly ill and flew back to Columbus last week with a trainer. It was also reported by Aaron Portzline that Johansen was hospitalized this summer for an irregular heart rate. Hopef...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 11- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Washington Capitals
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The final game of the road trip brings Columbus Blue Jackets to the nation's capital where they play the Washington Capitals in the Verizon Center.
Tonight, like last game, may come down to a battle of goaltenders- Sergei Bobrovsky against Braden Holtby. Holtby broke out last year with Barry Trotz, and played 61 games last year, coming very (very) close to the Vezn...
Back-to-back loses hit the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday, the Jackets lose to the Washington Capitals by a final score 2-1. Last night, they lost to the Winnipeg Jets 3-2.
In both games, the Jackets didn't score first, and had to claw back in the game to make it close.
In D.C., summer acquisitions Justin Willams and T.J. Oshie scor...
Back-to-back loses hit the Columbus Blue Jackets Friday and Saturday nights. On Friday, the Jackets lose to the Washington Capitals by a final score 2-1. Last night, they lost to the Winnipeg Jets 3-2.
In both games, the Jackets didn't score first, and had to claw back in the game to make it close.
In D.C., summer acquisitions Justin Willams and T.J. Oshie scor...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 16- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Vancouver Canucks
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Hockey is back in the Buckeye State. Tonight, the Columbus Blue Jackets are hosting the Vancouver Canucks. The Jackets are just coming off a successful California trip, where they went (2-1-0), earning a possible 4 of 6 points. Now, they are poised they get their first home victory of the season. As for the Canucks, they are currently on a three game losing streak, and are...
On Tuesday night, Military Appreciation Night, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Vancouver Canucks by a final score of 5-3. This is the first time John Tortorella played his former team, and the veterans of the opposing team avoided Columbus from getting their first home win of the season.
For the Canucks, the top line had four of the team's five goals- Jannik ...
Okay. Sorry Canucks fans but, this one falls on me. Watching the Canucks collapse and blow leads late has become routine latley, and quite honestly, its become pretty fun. The anticipation and build up really brings a new dimension to the whole 'Canuck' experience, exciting enough that one could argue the NHL shouldnt be worried at all about bigger nets or more goals...
Over the weekend, it was discussed in a rumor blog that the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders were in serious trade discussions. The apparent rumor is Ryan Johansen and a second round pick for Kyle Okposo, a first round pick, and Travis Hamonic (who would then be dealt to Calgary).
For the pieces the Islanders are giving up, that is a lot to give up...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 26- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montréal Canadiens
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Bonjour tout la monde! This evening, the Columbus Blue Jackets travel to the Bell Centré to battle the Montréal Canadiens. The Habs currently sit atop of the Atlantic Division; the Jackets are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference. The last game these teams played (not against each other), the Habs lost to New Jersey in overtime; for Columbus, it was a regulation...
Bon matin mes amis. Hier soir, les Canadiens de Montréal à gagné encore. Le finale est 2-1. C'était un bon match de hockey pour les Canadiens et les Blue Jackets.
The Jackets stayed with Montréal until the end of the game, but the regulation loss doesn't help Columbus in their climb back up the standings.
The Habs got goals from Paul Byron and Max Pacioret...
Bon matin mes amis. Hier soir, les Canadiens de Montréal à gagné encore. Le finale est 2-1. C'était un bon match de hockey pour les Canadiens et les Blue Jackets.
The Jackets stayed with Montréal until the end of the game, but the regulation loss doesn't help Columbus in their climb back up the standings.
The Habs got goals from Paul Byron and Max Pacioret...
The LA Kings roster needs little tampering--their management, little explanation. The Kings’ roster, and the threat they convey to every other team in the league, has been consistent since Darryl Sutter took the reins in December of 2011. Amidst the Voynov and Richards contracts, Dean Lombardi has authored a master class for the craft of GM'ing.
Anze Kopitar is one ...
As a Canucks fan I've been looking forward to this years entry draft a fair amount and keep thinking how much better off the Canucks would be if Jared McCann and Jake Virtanen could be learning in the Ahl but alas they played junior hockey in the Chl and aren't allowed to make that jump yet. So they are stuck playing 8-10 min a night in the NHL because they aren't quite re...
As we are in the midst of the holiday season and looking ahead both to 2016 and The Winter Classic, here are 12 takes on The Boston Bruins season thus far.
1-6:
[b]Claude Julien - Coach of the Year[/b]
For my money, [b]Claude Julien[/b] has to be the front runner for coach of the year honors in the NHL this season. Are there really any other clubs having unexp...
Lets just say the Flames stay the course and not do anything crazy trade wise and Macdonald or Ortio actually grow into a true NHL number 1 goalie grown in the organization.
After this year I am to hope Monahan signs longish term 5+ maybe 7 even somewhere around $5.25-$4.75 the year after when Johnny is RFA that could be $6? Bennett if he continues to stay and play for ...
Many hockey fans, including myself, had written off the Canes playoff chances a while back and had started to put our attention elsewhere, looking at possible moves the Canes could make at the trade deadline and possibilities for the upcoming 2016 draft.
Was highly sought after Eric Staal going or staying? Was Cam Ward a good choice for play-off bound teams seeking goa...
Those of us who follow the Carolina Hurricanes closely continue to be pleasantly surprised by the consistent, high quality play of the Canes defence grouping. We keep waiting for the shoe to drop, but guess what? Not going to happen. Outsiders look at a “D” group of Faulk, Hainsey, Liles, Hanifin, Pesce, and Slavin and say “who?”, dismissing them as light weight an...
Those of us who follow the Carolina Hurricanes closely continue to be pleasantly surprised by the consistent, high quality play of the Canes defence grouping. We keep waiting for the shoe to drop, but guess what? Not going to happen. Outsiders look at a “D” group of Faulk, Hainsey, Liles, Hanifin, Pesce, and Slavin and say “who?”, dismissing them as light weight an...
On Saturday night, the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the Washington Capitals by a final score of 5-4 overtime shootout.
The Caps got goals from Evgeny Kuznetsov, Marcus Johansson, TJ Oshie, and Jason Chimera. In the shootout, Oshie scored a beauty on Anton Forsberg. Other players with points include Nicklas Backstrom, Matt Niskanen, Tom Wilson, and Karl Alzner. Brayd...
On Friday night, the Carolina Hurricanes spoiled Seth Jones' Blue Jackets debut in a 4-1 loss in Raleigh.
The Hurricanes got goals from Elias Lindholm (2), Chris Terry, and Jordan Staal. Other players with points include Kris Versteeg (2), Jeff Skinner, Riley Nash, Eric Staal, and Jacob Slavin. Cam Ward stopped 35 of 36 Blue Jackets shots for a 0.972 save percentag...
On Friday night, the Carolina Hurricanes spoiled Seth Jones' Blue Jackets debut in a 4-1 loss in Raleigh.
The Hurricanes got goals from Elias Lindholm (2), Chris Terry, and Jordan Staal. Other players with points include Kris Versteeg (2), Jeff Skinner, Riley Nash, Eric Staal, and Jacob Slavin. Cam Ward stopped 35 of 36 Blue Jackets shots for a 0.972 save percentag...
stljam writes...
Blues vs. Carolina Hurricanes - 1/14/16 game day preview
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Blues vs. Carolina Hurricanes - 1/14/16 game day preview
The Blues continue their home stand against their second consecutive Eastern conference team when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes at the Scottrade Center at 7pm tonight. The Hurricanes come in on a hot streak, winners of their last 3 games and taking points in 8 of their last team. Even with the hot streak...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 47- Washington Capitals v Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets are staying at home to battle the Washington Capitals. The Jackets are well rested after taking a couple days off, even after a late win to the Avs. They also got their number one goalie back in the pipes, Sergei Bobrovsky, after missing near 20 games with a groin injury. The Caps just got Mike Richards into the fray, but lost Brayden Holtby to dehydra...
Last night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 6-3 in the return of Sergei Bobrovsky.
Washington got goals from Andre Burkavosky, Nick Backstrom (2), Alex Ovechkin, Marcus Johanson, and Jason Chimera. Other players with points include Evgney Kuznetsov (4), Matt Niskanen (2), Justin Williams (2), and TJ Oshie. Braden Holtb...
Last night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 6-3 in the return of Sergei Bobrovsky.
Washington got goals from Andre Burkavosky, Nick Backstrom (2), Alex Ovechkin, Marcus Johanson, and Jason Chimera. Other players with points include Evgney Kuznetsov (4), Matt Niskanen (2), Justin Williams (2), and TJ Oshie. Braden Holtb...
First I must commend Bob Hartley on demanding a strong work ethic and compete level in Calgary. These are not easy intangibles to build but with that being said the young Flames need a true tactician. A coach that can take these brilliant hockey minds like Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, and Hamilton and take them to the next level.
[b]Current Issues:[/b]
The Flames sit ...
First I must commend Bob Hartley on demanding a strong work ethic and compete level in Calgary. These are not easy intangibles to build but with that being said the young Flames need a true tactician. A coach that can take these brilliant hockey minds like Monahan, Gaudreau, Bennett, and Hamilton and take them to the next level.
[b]Current Issues:[/b]
The Flames sit ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 48- Calgary Flames @ Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
CBJ Game
Bad on road v. Bad at home. What an interesting battle at home tonight for the Jackets as they welcome the Flames as they looking for a start to an awful first half of the 2015-16 season. As mentioned through the first sentence of my blog, the Flames are not a good team away from the Scotiabank Saddledome. As for the second half of the intro, the Jackets have ...
Last night, at home, the Columbus Blue Jackets were defeated by the Calgary Flames by a final score of 4-2.
The Flames got goals by Sam Bennett (2), Michael Frolik, and Johnny Gaudreau. Other players with points include Dougie Hamilton, Mark Giordano (2), TJ Brodie, Mikael Backlund (2), and Kris Russell. Johnny Hockey was my player to watch, and has his 20th goal t...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 50- Montreal Canadiens v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Monday | Comments 0
What a treat for Columbus. The struggling Habs come to Columbus to battle here tonight prior to crossing the border tomorrow. The Jackets are still without head coach John Tortorella after suffering broken ribs during a practice outside at the a Winter Park, colliding with ex-Hab Rene Borque.
The Habs have been struggling lately in every position, and the biggest r...
Oh my goodness. Last night, the Blue Jackets snapped their losing streak to the Montreal Canadiens, by a final score of 5-2.
Montreal got goals from Brendan Gallagher and PK Subban. Other players with points include Andrei Markov and Jeff Petry. Lars Eller, my player to watch, played 15:22 last night with a plus/minus -1 rating and one shot on net. Mike Condon allowed...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadiens
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadiens
Bonjour mes amies. Ce soir, les sont voyages à Québec. Hier soir, le est frappe les Canadiens, 5-2.
Tonight, revenge is on the mind of the Habs after losing to Columbus last night. The question is how tired are both teams.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Boone Jenner – Brandon Dubins...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadiens
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadiens
Bonjour mes amies. Ce soir, les sont voyages à Québec. Hier soir, le est frappe les Canadiens, 5-2.
Tonight, revenge is on the mind of the Habs after losing to Columbus last night. The question is how tired are both teams.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Boone Jenner – Brandon Dubins...
CBJ Post-Game No. 51- Looking Up
The Jackets did it last night. They completed a home and home series that now has them inching up the standings. The final score was 5-2. They are now tied with Edmonton and Toronto, but they have played the most games.
Montreal got goals from Alex Galchenyuk (my player to watch) and Devante Smith-Pelly. Other players with points inc...
CBJ Post-Game No. 51- Looking Up
The Jackets did it last night. They completed a home and home series that now has them inching up the standings. The final score was 5-2. They are now tied with Edmonton and Toronto, but they have played the most games.
Montreal got goals from Alex Galchenyuk (my player to watch) and Devante Smith-Pelly. Other players with points inc...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 53- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Vancouver Canucks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Western Canada trip started on a sour note for the Blue Jackets, and look to rebound in a series of back-to-back match ups over the course of the next two nights. First for the Jackets, the transitioning Vancouver Canucks.
These two teams faced each other on Novemeber 10. For the Canucks, the top line had four of the team's five goals- Jannik Hansen, Daniel Sedin, ...
The back-to-back was successful for the Columbus Blue Jackets as they defeated the Calgary Flame in the Scotiabank Saddledome by a final score of 2-1 in regulation. This makes their Western Canada trip a success as they went 2 for 3 against these clubs, falling only to Oilers.
The Flames' lone goal scorer was from Jiri Hudler, who is having a down year similar to Nick ...
[i]Disclaimer: this is an opinion piece; look elsewhere for advanced stats and rumors pulled out of a writers rear end. This is about venting, raging, and breathing fire over a variety of topics. So dear reader if your looking for anything other than a Don Cherry type I suggest you dig elsewhere, here be dragons.[/i] rnrnrn When watching the NHL in its 2015-2016 season I...
With so much criticism about his play this year, Thursday night's impressive performance may have eliminated the doubt in Columbus' captain Nick Foligno.
On Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils, the winger scored a hat-trick and added an assist. He has nine goals this season, but also had 23 assists, which is near the top for his team.
That is extremely impr...
DutchSenators writes...
The Hawks winning the Stanley cup again? Not a bad thing!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The trade deadline has passed and the Blackhawks have made some solid moves over the last few weeks. They acquired a legitimate 1LW in Andrew Ladd, solidified their bottom six with Weise and Fleischmann, and swapped Scuderi for Ehrhoff. With these additions the Chicago Blackhawks are set to win another Stanley Cup and become a true dynasty team.
Hitting and fighting is ...
On Wednesday night, March 2nd 2016, there was the unveiling of the jerseys and preliminary rosters for all the teams competing in the World Cup of Hockey.
For the Blue Jackets, three players made it onto Team North America, a team that makes up the best players ranging between the ages of 18-23, but not over 24.
Ryan Murray, Seth Jones, and Brandon Saad are the thr...
With ten games remaining, this year can once again be summarized for Oiler fans as a disappointment. While injuries have played a huge factor in the teams current position it cannot be denied that consistency and defensive woes have also played a huge roll. Now that we are a couple weeks past the trade deadline I thought now would be as good a time as any to look back on e...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Looking at the NCAA Ice Hockey Championships + Predictions
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Tonight is the start of the NCAA Ice Hockey Championships that are taking place in Tampa, Florida this year. Here are the match ups in round one.
Quinnipiac
V.
Rochester Inst.
Top Prospects
Quinnipiac- Travis St. Denis
Rochester
_____________________________________________
Yale
V.
U. Mass-Lowell
Top Prospects
Yale
U. Mass-Lowell- LW CJ Smit...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 74- Canes Collect Points @ Cbus; Boll Gone
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
CBJ Post-Game No. 74- Canes Collect Points From Columbus
Last night, the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 3-2 in regulation.
Carolina got all three goals in the third period. The Canes got all three goals in a span of less than two minutes. Viktor Rask scored his 17th goal of the season 52 seconds in. At 2:19, Chris Terry sc...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 76- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Washington Capitals
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Columbus travels to the nation's capital to take on the league's best team- the Washington Capitals. One more win will earn the Capitals the President's Trophy for a team that has already clinched top spot in the East.
It has been a while since these two clubs have played, and the Capitals have made several changes to their team. The Caps acquired Mike Weber from the B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 76- Washington Wins Winningest Trophy
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In the nation's capital, the Capitals defeated the Blue Jackets by a final score of 4-1 to win the President's Trophy.
The Captials scored most of their goals late, but did pot one early on. At 16:30 into the first period, Justin Williams scored his 22nd of the season; John Carlson had the lone assist. In the third period, they scored 3 goals in 14 minutes. At 3:46, T...
CBJ- Zach Werenski Signs With Columbus
The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed their top prospect, defenseman Zach Werenski to a three year entry level deal. Also, the Lake Erie Monsters, the Jackets affiliate team, signed him to an amateur tryout offer.
Werenski was drafted eighth overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The past two seasons, Werenski...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 78- "Brandon Happy" With Hat Trick
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets have defeated the Carolina Hurricanes by a final score of 5-1.
The Hurricanes lone goal was the first one of the game, which came in the first period. Jeff Skinner scored his 28th of the season; Jacon Slavin and Viktor Rask had the assists. Eddie Lack was the starting netminder for the Hurricanes, and he stopped 22 of 27 for a 0.915 save perce...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Looking At Frozen Four and Who Will Win- My Predictions
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Source: NCAA.com
April 7 (Tampa, Florida)
Quinnipiac vs. Boston College (5:00; ESPN2)
North Dakota vs. Denver (8:30; ESPN2)
Championship: April 9 (Tampa, Florida) (8:00 ESPN2)
Predictions
North Dakota will beat Denver in regulation.
Quinnipiac will squeeze out a narrow victory against BC.
In the championship game, North Dakota will lose a close b...
Match Ups: Round One
Hershey Bears v. Portland Pirates
Toronto Marlies v. Bridgeport Sound Tigers
San Diego Gulls v. Texas Stars
Ontario Reign v. San Jose Barracuda
Lake Erie Monsters v. Rockford Ice Hogs
Millauawke v. Grand Rapids Griffins
Providence Bruins v. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Albany Devils v. Utica Comets
Predictions
Hershey i...
In the NHL, the largest reason team consistently lose games, sign bad contracts and overpay for players, is the massive gap between player’s perceived value and their actual value. This is a major issue in the NHL. In days of the past, there were excuses for making decisions based on the “eye test”. But in reality, the eye test is not only useless, but also actually ...
AHL:
Eastern Conference
Hershey Bears v. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
Prediction: Bears in 6
Toronto Marlies v. Albany Devils
Prediction: Marlies in 5
Western Conference
Ontario Reign v. San Diego Gulls
Prediction: Gulls in 7
Lake Erie Monsters v. Grand Rapids Griffins
Prediction: Monsters in 7
OHL
London Knights v. Niagara Ice Dogs
...
Aside from the draft lottery occurring at the end of April, there is still hockey in session in early May.
In the Stanley Cup Playoffs:
San Jose leads Nashville 2-0
St. Louis and Dallas are tied 1-1
Pittsburgh and Washington are tied 1-1
Tampa Bay and New York are tied 1-1
In the CHL:
Seattle and Brandon are facing off for the WHL Championship, and mo...
Just to start quickly I actually want to see Phil Kessel lift the cup and prove that the leafs really did get ripped off AGAIN and even worse probably somehow screw up Austin Matthews, you would think its impossible I do not anyways!
I think to touch on Hartley getting dropped just like this shows little class based on BT as he gave him a big extension after winning t...
Trade Idea.rnrnTo Montreal Canadiens To Columbus Blue Jacketsrn4th round pick in 2017 Lars EllerrnrnThe Blue Jackets Need 4th Line Help, and the Canadiens Don't need some of their players because they have too many guys that would normally be in the lineup.
Just for the fun I will try to complete a second team Canada roster for the world cup from which whom was not taken.
Forwards
Line 1 Perry - spezza -Hall
Line 2Nash -Carter - ladd
Line 3 sharp - bozak - lucid
Line 4 Neal - Jordan staal - cammalleri
Defence
Subban - campbell
Letting - seabrook
Giordano - hamhuis
Phaneuf
Goalies
Luongo - fleury - Crawford...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ: Ex-Jacket Defenseman Grant Clitsome Retires
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Winnipeg Jets lost one of their bottom pairing defenseman for good. And same with the league. Defenseman Grant Clitsome, a former Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick, has announced his retirement at the young age of 31.
Clitsome was a ninth round draft pick by Columbus in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft. In 93 career games with the Blue Jackets, he had 36 points (9-27-36).
...
Just announced... the Chicago Blackhawks have traded forwards Bryan Bickell and Tuevo Terevainen to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2nd round pick in the 2016 draft and a 3rd pick in the 2017 draft. The Hawks have freed up a ton of cap space by making this move. What could it mean? Well, it could mean that the Hawks can for sure bring back fan favorite Andrew Shaw. Also, the...
Two highly sought after free agents want to sign in Edmonton? Music! Dealing with the cap issues that will follow? Bad music... like country or something. If the Oilers bring in both Lucic and Demers here is what the team looks like without any other changes. In brackets I've included each players cap hit.
Hall (6) - RNH (6) - Eberle (6)
Lucic (6) - McDavid (3.775) - Y...
From the beloved Saku Koivu to the often detested Alex Kovalev, star players in Montreal have always received just a little extra love or hate from fans and media not only in the city itself, but across the league. When a team is as polarizing as the Canadiens, their biggest players are either praised or loathed equally.
Which brings us to PK Subban. As immense a pers...
During free agency, the headlines are always dominated by the big name signings. Milan Lucic heading to Edmonton, Kyle Okposo going to the Sabres, Andrew Ladd signing with the Islanders. And while these types of signings usually have a big impact on the teams that they sign with, the smaller, low-key signings can be just as important. While Brett Connolly is no Lucic or Ok...
After one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history, the Washington Capitals have a chance to repeat that same performance this season. Unlike most contending teams, the Capitals were able to retain almost every important roster player, with the biggest lose being letting Jason Chimera leave via free agency. But even with Chimera on the Islanders’ roste...
Washington Capitals defender Karl Alzner is recovering from the sports hernia and groin injury he suffered from during the NHL playoffs this season. He got hurt during Game 6 in the second round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins but had slightly felt the injury for over a year.
"What happens typically, from my understanding, is you get some sort of instability in y...
The Eye of the Storm is almost upon us Caniac Nation. Next month we will be watching our future phenom, Sebastian Aho compete in the World Cup. Shortly after, our boys will be back in Raleigh, ready to turn the tide after 7 long years. Gone will be our former Captain, Eric Staal, Malone, Nash and Gerbe. Arriving will be new faces; Stempniak, Teravainen, Stalberg and Bickel...
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...
In this week’s Fan’s Fronchroom bit, let’s talk a little about the upcoming season. I’m sure you’re all chomping at the bit to the extent that I am, and for that reason, I think we can all use a healthy little bit of hockey analysis. There are a few notable reasons for Blackhawks fans to feel extremely optimistic regarding the upcoming season, and a thorough look...
09/04/2016
Once in a while we will be fortunate enough to witness a goalkeeper such as Matt Murray arrive in the NHL at a very young age and make an incredible impact, circumstances can instantly create hockey heroes.
All players start to hit their stride at different points in their career; a good poolie watches closely to recognize indicators. I have been intere...
The United States defeat Canada in Nationwide Arena in the first preliminary games of the tournament. The final score was 4-2.
Zach Parise, Team USA and Minnesota Wild alternate captain, score the first goal of the game. (1-0)
Patrick Kane, the reigning Hart Trophy winner of the Chicago Blackhawks, made it 2-0.
Patrice Bergeron of the Boston Bruins scored the f...
CanesTR writes...
Carolina Hurricanes – NHL Prospect Tournament 2016 Preview
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
As the Carolina Hurricanes approach the 2016-17 season, there are still a number of questions unanswered regarding the upcoming season. It is expected to be a spirited training camp with some key positions up for grabs. With that in mind, the upcoming NHL Prospect Tournament in Traverse City, September 16-20, will be a major opportunity for some of the exciting new talent ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
WCH: Is Tortorella the 2016 Version of Herb Brooks?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the preliminary matchups wrapping up in the World Cup of Hockey, not much has been discussed about Team USA besides head coach John Tortorella and his methods.
First, he asked a question in regards to an issue that occurred in another sport- about the controversy of the National Anthem. His response- he "would bench anyone who sits during the anthem." This call fo...
The official start to the tournament starts today and goes until October 1, but nothing gets a conversation going like an opinion. So let's start.
Division One
United States of America
Canada
Czech Republic
Europe
Division Two
Sweden
Russia
Finland
North America
Canada and USA will advance. The Czech and Europe are two of the weaker t...
The official start to the tournament starts today and goes until October 1, but nothing gets a conversation going like an opinion. So let's start.
Division One
United States of America
Canada
Czech Republic
Europe
Division Two
Sweden
Russia
Finland
North America
Canada and USA will advance. The Czech and Europe are two of the weaker t...
shawzy_111 writes...
How Russia Exploited Team North America's Exuberance
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
In the midst of seeing countless replays of the McDavid-Matthews connection against Team Russia yesterday, I came to the realization that there is something rather essential lacking in mainstream hockey coverage in this day and age.This missing ingredient is actual tactical analysis of how one team breaks down the other or stifles the opposition offence. At best we see a b...
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 ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL: Predicting Standings- Who Makes and Misses Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Pacific Division
1. Anahiem Ducks
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Arizona Coyotes
5. Calgary Flames
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Vancouver Canucks
Central Division
1. Dallas Stars
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Nashville Predators
4. St. Louis Blues (X)
5. Minnesota Wild (X)
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche
Atlantic Division
1. Tampa B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL: Predicting Standings- Who Makes and Misses Playoffs
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Pacific Division
1. Anahiem Ducks
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. San Jose Sharks
4. Arizona Coyotes
5. Calgary Flames
6. Edmonton Oilers
7. Vancouver Canucks
Central Division
1. Dallas Stars
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Nashville Predators
4. St. Louis Blues (X)
5. Minnesota Wild (X)
6. Winnipeg Jets
7. Colorado Avalanche
Atlantic Division
1. Tampa B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 3- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Chicago Blackhawks
Posted Friday | Comments 0
After five days away from game competition, the Blue Jackets return to the United Center to take on the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks last year were an experienced team that picked up players at the deadline, and because of the cap, had to change up their roster. The Hawks let Andrew Ladd (NYI); Dale Weise (PHI); Matt Fraser (EU); and Drew MacIntyre (EU). They als...
Edmonton Oilers - Tale of two cities
- This team started as a team you question defensively as against Calgary they should have lost. Then you have the drubbing against the injury riddled Sabres. Looking bleak and the team tightens up and wins two fairly sound games. Also if this team does well I would like to point out it isn't Chiarelli, its him finding haystack and...
[b][b]
Match-up – Philadelphia Flyers (3-5-1 )@ Carolina Hurricanes (2-3-1)
Road/Home records – 1-2-1 -------------------- 1-0-0
TV –TCN, FSCR
Puck drop - 8:00 PM ET
Season series - 1-0 Philadelphia; 6-3 in Philadelphia on October 22nd
Projected starting goalies –Mason/Neuvirth (PHI) –Unconfirmed v. Cam Ward (CAR) – Confirmed
Goals for/against per gam...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 9- Columbus Blue Jackets v Montreal Canadiens
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Bienvenue au Columbus. Ce soir, le au Columbus fait un match de hockey avec des Canadiens aux Montréal.
Tonight is the first meeting of the season, and as I usually do, I look over the offseason changes of the opposing team before any further breakdown. After the collapse of Carey Price, the Habs had an extremely subpar season, and drafted low as a result, making vas...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No 9- Double Digit Domination; 10-0 Win v Habs
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Je suis désolé Montréal, mais zut! 10 à 0. Finale.
The Montreal Canadiens, the league's best team was utterly dominated and destroyed and blanked by the Columbus Blue Jackets by the final score of 10-0.
Let's get through the goals in order since there is only one team to talk about on the score sheet.
The first goal of the game was one of four scored on t...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game N. 14- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Washington Capitals
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets are finally playing a divisional team, being the last year's President Trophy winners. The Washington Capitals play here tonight and in Pittsburgh tomorrow, so the pressure is on.
The Capitals had a quiet offseason, but made their roster younger and more skilled in contrast to a veteran and grittier team. They lost Jason Chimera; Mike Moore; Sean Colli...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 14- Comeback Columbus Costs Capitals Point
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets woke up late in the third period to defeat the Washington Capitals by the final score of 2-1 in overtime.
The Capitals opened the scoring in the midst of the second period off a sniping shot from the usual passer in Nicolas Backstrom. The Swedish forward wristed a shot underneath Bobrovsky's glove for a 1-0 lead for the Caps for his second goa...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 16- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Washington Capitals
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The start of a back to back for Columbus begins with an afternoon tilt in the nation's capital against the injury rattled Capitals. The contest begins at 12:30 pm.
The Jackets will look to continue their hot streak at home on the road, while the Capitals will look to find a way to win without some top players. In their most recent games against the Red Wings, they had ...
The Jackets maintain their composure to defeat the Capitals in the final minute of regulation, by the final score of 3-2.
In the first period, a Jack Johnson turnover to Nick Backstrom slips in between Sergei Bobrovsky's legs for a 1-0 Washington lead. The ice breaker was his fifth goal of the season.
In the second period, the Jackets even the score with a Nick Fol...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 18- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Calgary Flames
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets busy week if games continue where they take on the struggling Calgary Flames.
The Flames are continuing to find a winning way after making the postseason two years ago. This summer, they fired veteran coach Bob Hartley for former Stars coach Glen Gulutzan. They traded Patrick Sieloff to Ottawa. They let a lot of experienced players walk, including goal...
For more information; follow @NHLPenaltyBox {Twitter}
After beating the Calgary Flames on Monday night, the Isles had a tough back to back approaching. They would play the defending cup champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, then the following day, they would play the defending President's Trophy champs, the Washington Capitals. Fans knew that this determined the year, a win ...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 28- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Calgary Flames
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Western Canada road trip continues for the Jackets, as they continue their time in Alberta. Tonight, they battle the Flames.
The Flames have been a confusing team to watch this season. They were riding a six winning streak with Chad Johnson taking the reigns as the number one starter. Against Tampa Bay, they lost badly, and yanked Johnson.
The Flames goaltendin...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 40- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Carolina Hurricanes
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Southern road trip for the Blue Jackets commences with a trip to Raleigh, North Carolina to take on the youthful Hurricanes. This is their first meeting of the season, and all three season meetings will be happening in the next 11 days. Crazy, isn't it? But that's how the schedule works.
Flashing back to the offseason, here's a quick look at what the Canes have don...
Nothing like a good pun right? Onto the serious stuff, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost to the Carolina Hurricanes by the final score of 5-3.
Cam Atkinson opened the scoring with less than two minutes, beating Cam Ward on a nice little deke from behind the net. His goal was his 20th of the season, becoming the third player in franchise history to score 20 goals in four s...
Ryan Getzlaf used to bring me out of my seat multiple times every game with his spectacular play-making. Those days are long gone. I'll grant you this: He's still a physical beast on the ice, and I don't think that shows too well on TV. But here are the major problems I see with the Ducks captain:rnrn1) Captain Yapping: On a Fox Sports special, his coach said he got t...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Update 2017: Southern Trip; Bobrovsky In and Out
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
CBJ Post-Game No. 41- Korpisalo
The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning by the final score of 3-1.
The Bolts opened the scoring on their home ice in the first period. Jonathan Drouin scored his 13th goal of the season. Valtteri Flippula and Ondrej Palat had the assists.
Josh Anderson evened the game for his 10th of the season. David Savard ha...
After the Islanders 7-4 loss to Carolina, the Islanders needed a shakeup-well, maybe they needed a shakeup from November. Thomas Greiss who played every game since Halak has been placed in BPT on December 30, struggled versus Carolina. Nothing happened, as expected. The Isles moved on to play the Boston Bruins who they beat on December 20. Greiss got the nod again for NY ...
CBJ Update: February Fever
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a busy remainder of January since I last blogged. The last time I blogged was after a victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. This blog will cover the games they won throughout the remainder of February; the All Star Game; and injury updates on the back front—as well as trade rumors.
CBJ Post Game No. 4...
CBJ Update: February Fever
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a busy remainder of January since I last blogged. The last time I blogged was after a victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. This blog will cover the games they won throughout the remainder of February; the All Star Game; and injury updates on the back front—as well as trade rumors.
CBJ Post Game No. 4...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Pre-Game No. 53: Columbus Blue Jackets v Vancouver Canucks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Columbus Blue Jackets return to home ice tonight to take on the previous team that John Tortorella coached in the Vancouver Canucks. Tort’s time with the Canucks was short and brief as they were a non-playoff team that season. The Canucks were able to select Jake Virtanen with the bad year they had under him, plus they hired current bench boss Willie Desjardins.
...
The Vancouver Canucks managed to shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets by the final score of 3-0.
Daniel Sedin opened the scoring in the second period with his 12th goal of the season. Brother Henrik Sedin and former Calgary Flames prospect Markus Granlund had the assists.
My player to watch for the Canucks added to his team’s lead. Former Boston Bruin Loui Eriksson s...
Well it has been a very long time since I have done this, I always have good intentions but four kids and a job kind of cut into my blogging time. But here I go again, I will try to do this once a week at least and who knows maybe some day someone will read this.
Well it is a day before the trade deadline and the Habs have some work to do. Work that is going to be hard ...
After the absolute nail biter against Pitt they play something hopefully a little calmer against Boston tonight. The Saddledome should be completely wild with excitement and anticipation about 11.
Still 15 or so to play but it would be nice to see a battle of Alberta in the first round for the flames to actually get some sort of redemption from all season but most impo...
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...
archromat writes...
Six observations about Olympic Mess and Hockey World Cup
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Players have been reacting chiefly negatively to the NHL's decision to not participate in the Olympics.
1. [b]Evaluating the Strength of Tradition[/b]
NHL is trying to replace the Olympics with this "World Cup" device. Now let's put hockey world cup into context with football/soccer world cup. The World Cup of Football was started in 1930 in Uruguay and has been a ...
It was old, but it was loved. It was beat-up, but we cherished every moment. It was ugly, but my God was it beautiful. The Joe Louis Arena embodied the true spirit of the hard-working, self-reviving city that it represented. It wasn’t just the home of the Red Wings, nor did it just reside in Detroit. The Joe Louis Arena was Detroit. When it opened in 1979, it was nothing...
Its been three days since the Montreal Canadiens got defeated by the New York Rangers in game 6, with all the glaring disappointment this team has had in the playoffs there are some bright spots with this team. Artturi Lehkonen, just 21 years of age and has already shown that he knows how to score goals in this league. Out of all Montreal Canadiens players he was third in ...
5-3 in the first round decent predictions. Best one is predicting the leafs to make a series with the caps but still ultimately lose.
Western
Preds Over Blues in 5
This was a toss up but the blues are not paying to their capabilities and the preds have decent forward and the BEST defense in all of the playoffs and a streaky goaltender.
Oilers Over Ducks in 6
I a...
The Minnesota Wild have traded forward, Tyler Graovac to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a 2018 5th round pick. To me, this is a good trade for both teams.
For Washington: they could use help on the lower lines, and have an extra guy come in and help them out if they are going to win the cup next year.
For Minnesota: The Wild don't really need Graovac, who wa...
Well as I watched TSN with Free agent day almost a complete total waste of air time, (kinda like trade deadline) The flames did something I believe every day before that for somewhere around 5 days, way to anti climatic BT haha, no seriously I approve how he works totally.
The only issue I have is really mike stone, I feel that might be a touch much value for him, more ...
Flyers rookie/prospect camp opened over the weekend in Voorhees NJ. Hundreds of fans flocked to the Flyers’ Skate Zone to observe the future of the team hit the ice for drills, workouts and some scrimmaging. Although, 2nd overall pick Nolan Patrick could not participate, he was on hand to meet fans, the media and of course observe his future team mates as well. Patrick s...
The calgary flames need a top line RW that's no surprise but where can they find it? Look no further then the ageless wonder, Jaromir Jagr would fit the bill perfectly. He played with young talented players in Florida putting up very respectable numbers for a guy that is in his mid 40's. Whether Jagr is on the flames radar remains a mystery, but one could argue the flames ...
31 teams; 31 reasons to post a random comment. Let's go.
Anaheim Ducks – The Ducks are a conundrum for me. They have a good roster. They’ve won the Pacific Division something like five seasons in a row. There was very little change to their roster this summer. It seems like they can make the final four group in the playoffs on any given season, but ultimately, this ...
The issue:
He is not a play making center. His unique ability to not pass to his teammates allows him to barely have any primary assists or even assists in general for that matter. And for someone who does this, you'd expect them to take a lot of shots. Although he has bad shot generation. Some of you might feel it is because Canucks were a bad team last year. But he was ...
In a previous blog I wrote that I expected Edmonton to finish 2nd in the division, behind the Ducks with the Flames a close 3rd. The Battle Of Alberta has gone on for decades but both teams have had very little to celebrate over the past ten years. Chanting "my team is slightly not as bad as yours" doesn't have quite the same ring to it. Both teams have star players that a...
While the off-season felt much shorter this season (funny how playoffs will do that) it still lasted too long. We are still a few weeks from the home opener but it's starting to feel like hockey has returned. For the Edmonton Oilers, last year has set a new bar; this is a playoff team. Less time will be spent in training camp on giving prospects and younger players opportu...
After a shorter off-season than usual, the Edmonton Oilers picked up right where they left off and played a nearly perfect game against their southern rivals.
FINAL SCORE 3-0 EDMONTON
Before getting into some notes I wanted to take a moment and say what a classy move it was for the organization for having Constable Mike Chernyk at centre ice before the game began. Th...
Montreal scored a whole four goals in four games.
It's only four games in, surely! They're generating 38.8 shots per game! By my calculation, that leaves the team with a collective ~2.5% shooting percentage. So if stats guys are right, then their gambler's fallacy will tell them that this shooting percentage will shoot up to about 9-9.5% soon enough and they'll be sc...
So why is an Islanders fan writing a Hurricanes blog, well for a few reasons. My son has been a Hurricanes fan since they move to Carolina, never really said exactly why, but still roots for them today. (Maybe Grandma living there has something to do with it) I will probably be heading there in a few years to get away from all the expenses of Long Island, so naturally the...
--So a happy New Year to everyone, and now how happy will it be in Carolina? Tonight is the first game in a brutal 2 week schedule for the boys from Raleigh, with 6 games in 10 days, 3 of them vs The Washington Caps, with Pittsburgh, red hot Boston, and Tampa squeezed between tonight's Cap game and a home and home tilt to wrap up the stretch.
So the going will get tough...
Let’s get one thing straight: the Carolina Hurricanes goaltending has been putrid.
The Canes poor netminding is the number one contributor to their position as only the final wildcard spot. That’s right – the Hurricanes should be higher. So let’s take a look at how to fix that problem.
Out of 50 goalies who have played at least 500 minutes at 5v5, Scott Darl...
Calgary Flames: Just who are these flames? Last year it looked as though the only issues were goaltending and blueline depth. Those issues looked to be shored only to have consistency plague them. No wonder Gulutzan went on a tirade. They need others to step up namely Bennett.
Edmonton Oilers: Simple, Chia Pet Chiarelli is at the helm. Still waiting for first domino, Ch...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Sebastian Aho Is A Superstar So Start Paying Attention
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
After a rookie season that saw him put up 49 points in 82 games, Sebastian Aho has elevated his game during his sophomore season to superstar forward level.
Aho is currently on pace for 66 points during his second NHL season at the ripe age of twenty years old. Impressive stuff from a player that many don’t pay attention to, and probably haven’t since he entered the...
Over the next few weeks I'm going to run a bit of a series looking at some players that may be of interest to Edmonton. The first player on this list is Brendan Gallagher of the Montreal Canadiens.
The Canadiens are one of the few teams that are in a worse position than the Oilers. Oiler fans were infuriated with the Taylor Hall trade but at least we still have Connor M...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE - Episode 17 - 2018 NHL Trade Deadline Preview
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 17 - 2018 NHL Trade Deadline rnrnrnDebate 1 | Trade Reviews – A breakdown of all trades that have taken place leading up to NHL Trade DeadlinernDebate 2 | Trade Targets – What players will be on the move, and what teams will they end up on.rnrnThe NHL Trade Deadline is one day away. Brad Burud and Blake Friars breakdown all the t...
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...
THE DEBATE - Hockey Podcast - Episode 20 - Carolina Chaos
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 20
Carolina Chaos, NHL Player Poll, and No Playoff Surge
Debate 1 | Carolina removes Ron Francis at General Manager
Debate 2 | NHL Player Poll – Who are the players favorites
Debate 3 | What teams are playing themselves out of the playoffs.
Brad Burud and Blake Friars are ready to debate. What is going on in Carolina...
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...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Instigator |Episode 11 GOAL! Are you Kidding Me!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 11
GOAL! Are you Kidding Me!
Cam Ward allowed one of the weirdest goals ever last week. The puck was rung around the boards by Arizona Coyotes Alex Goligoski. Ward exited his net to stop the puck. The puck stuck in his skate, and Ward (not knowing where the puck was) slid to the front of the net in order to defend his foot slid into the net. T...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Canucks Legends Retire and Humboldt Broncos Tragedy
Posted Friday | Comments 0
INSIDE EDGE HOCKEY NEWS – RADIO SHOW | EPISODE 8
Canucks Legends Retire and Humboldt Broncos Tragedy
Brad Burud is joined with guest Blake Friars to discuss Vancouver Canucks legends Daniel and Henrik Sedin. The Sedins announced their retirement two weeks prior to the end of the regular season, and the final games were very exciting and the tribute was amazing. We ...
Coaching expert Donald S. Cherry diagnosed the Edmonton Oilers in October, three games into their doomed 2017-18 season. This Coach’s Corner segment was broadcast on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017 and Cherry is in top form right from the start — “Do they have pool tables out in Red Deer?” — but the relevant bit arrives at 2:07, when Ron MacLean introduces “a little ...
Habsfan2017 writes...
The Incredible Sedin twins: Genetics and Hockey collide
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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...
Quite a title isn't it? Now that I have your attention, what does this title really mean in terms of this time of the season? The answer is comparing last season's successes to this year's expectations. Specifically, the Washington Capitals and the Columbus Blue Jackets, and why this battle of "underdogs" is in existence and what could come from it from either side; and wh...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast - Stanley Cup Incidents and 2-0
Posted Monday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 24
Stanley Cup Incidents and 2-0 Series Leads
Debate 1 |Stanley Cup incidents – We review five incidents that took place in week one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs
Debate 2 |Eastern Conference Series Recap
Debate 3 |Western Conference Series Recap
Brad Burud and Blake Friars are all fired up about week one of the Stanle...
[b]Lars Eller[/b] breaks through for the Washington Capitals as they defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets by the final score of 3-2, in double overtime.
Three of the five goals were scored in the second period. Washington opened the scoring with help from defenseman Matt Niskanen, his first of the series. Tom Wilson and Alex Ovechkin got the assists.
Five minutes later, ...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Instigator - Draft Lottery a Missed Opportunity
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 14
Draft Lottery a Missed Opportunity
I really like the NHL Draft Lottery process, but I have a huge problem with how it was presented to the public this year. This is a made for television opportunity that the NHL wasted. So what should they have done, and how could they capitalize on this opportunity? Give a listen!
[https://www.spreaker....
The new owner wants to change the team culture and is off to a running start in firing former GM Ron Francis. Bill Peters is gone to Calgary and Rod Brind'Amore and Don Waddell have been installed as the new coach and GM. Although as a hockey fan, I feel Francis did a great job building a solid foundation of defensive prospects, ie: Fleury, Bean, Hanifin and offensive pros...
freelancer writes...
Trade Partners For Edmonton: The Carolina Hurricanes
Posted Friday | Comments 0
While the Buffalo Sabres came up big with the 1st overall pick and Rasmus Dahlin, the Hurricanes arguably had the best fortune with the Draft Lottery, moving from #11 to #2. With the #2 pick the Canes will likely be selecting Svechnikov.
So the obvious question here is.... how do the Oilers benefit from this?
Let's look at some of the players from the Hurricanes the ...
freelancer writes...
Salary Cap Projections Must Be Properly Utilized By Edmonton
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hello everyone,
I'm Sean Maloughney (Ma-lock-nee for those who are interested to know) and I'll be doing my best to keep you, the masses entertained for at least the time being (I'm still a freelancer after all). As Matt Henderson put in his own farewell quite eloquently, being a blogger is critical in this day and age of media. Those who are employed by the teams you c...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Caps Hoist Cup, Island of the Unknown, and Draft Talk
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 27
Caps Hoist Cup, Island of the Unknown, and Draft Talk
Debate 1 |The Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup
Debate 2 |New Management for the New York Islanders
Debate 3 |Will the NHL Draft be an active trade day
The Washington Capitals have won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. How did they do it? Brad Bur...
The easy predictions are as follows:
1) Buffalo Sabres- Ramus Dahlin
2) Carolina Hurricanes- Andrei Svechnikov
3) Montreal Canadiens- Flip Zadina
4) Ottawa Senators - Brady Tkachuk
5) Arizona Coyotes- Noah Dobson
The less than likely draft predictions:
1) Carolina trades either Jeff Skinner, Justin Faulk, Victor Rask, or Scott Darling
for either a ...
SeanyCanuck writes...
Caps win! Caps win! First blog for a fanatic Canuck fan.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Hello all, my name is Sean Desjardins and I currently live in Fort St John, BC after moving from Vancouver three years ago. My favourite teams are the Canucks and the Lightning and I love aggressive, puck control, pinching teams like the Lightning and Nashville. I love hockey at all times of the season, but fully understand the draw of the playoffs as the effort and stak...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast - NHL Draft Shuffle,
Posted Monday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 29
NHL Draft Shuffle, Flames/Canes Trade and Top Targets
Debate 1 |NHL Draft – Winners and Losers
Debate 2 |Flames/Canes Blockbuster Trade
Debate 3 |NHL Free-Agents and Trade Targets
Its NHL Draft time and Brad Burud and Blake Friars breakdown the winners and losers, and what players moved up and what players fell in...
We're about a month away from puck drop, and I don't remember being more excited for October to arrive. It's a bit a of wierd statement coming from a Habs fan, considering the state of the team, so I figured I'd share my excitement with you guys.
First part : it could be quick...Wait, what could be quick? I'm talking about how the 2018-19 season is going to go for the ...
The NHL season starts in 23 days and it's a long way until April so here is my Playoff Prediction for the 2018-2019 Season.
Metropolitan: 1. Capitals 2. Penguins 3. Devils
Atlantic: 1. P-Lightning 2. Maple Leafs 3. Bruins
Wild card 1: Panthers Wild Card 2: Flyers
p* Presidents Trophy Winner
No playoffs for the Blue Jackets? Well, the distraction of Art...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE Hockey Podcast -Predictions and Team Previes
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Brad Burud and Blake Friars are back for season two of THE DEBATE Hockey Podcast. The 31st episode is all about predictions and the NHL season ahead. They breakdown and debate which NHL teams are on the move up and which are on the move down. Then they talk Eastern and Western Conference and give you insight on who will win each division and most importantly the Stanley...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
20 Preseason Questions - THE DEBATE Hockey Podcast
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 32
20 Preseason Questions
Brad Burud and Blake Friars discuss the monster Erik Karlsson trade, Robin Lehner Mental Health struggles, and Humboldt closure. Then they dive into 20 preseason quesions. Who is this years biggest bust? Who is the biggest rivalry? How many Canadian teams will make the playoffs? The questions keep co...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Suckerpunch, Unsigned RFA’s, and Preseason Standouts
Posted Monday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 33
Suckerpunch, Unsigned RFA’s, and Preseason Standouts
Brad Burud and Blake Friars prep for the start of the NHL season by discussing preseason standouts. Lots of great young talented showcased in the preseason, and some will be taking roster spots. Domi suckerpunched Ekblad – the reaction and the results of this stupid ...
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...
When the Capitals face a familiar foe on Wednesday at Capital One Arena in the Vegas Golden Knights, they will have a couple of new faces in the line-up. One looks to get back to regular minutes on the Caps back-end while another makes his Capitals debut.rnrnMichal Kempny returns after missing the first two games while recovering from a concussion suffered in the pre-seas...
When the Capitals face a familiar foe on Wednesday at Capital One Arena in the Vegas Golden Knights they will have a couple of new faces in the line-up. One looks to get back to regular minutes on the Caps backend while another makes his Capitals debut.
Michal Kempny returns after missing the first two games while recovering from a concussion suffered in the pre-season...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Instigator |Episode 16 1,260,162 Thank You’s to the NHL
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 16
1,260,162 Thank You’s to the NHL
Well the wildly overpaid goon for the Washington Capitals is back at it again, but this time the National Hockey League makes him pay for it. In the Capitals final preseason game, forward Tom Wilson landed a vicious head shot on St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist. The was needless and extremely danger...
For the second time in 4 games the Washington Capitals are facing another backend of back to back games on the road. After suffering a 7-6 OT loss last week to Pittsburgh on the second night, the Caps will look to win their first road game in New Jersey vs the Devils. The Caps have 10 remaining back to backs this season. The Caps where 21-15-5 on the road last season.
A...
For the second time in 4 games the Washington Capitals are facing another backend of back to back games on the road. After suffering a 7-6 OT loss last week to Pittsburgh on the second night, the Caps will look to win their first road game in New Jersey vs the Devils. The Caps have 10 remaining back to backs this season. The Caps where 21-15-5 on the road last season.
A...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Player Survey, Calgary Flames, and Dirtiest Player
Posted Friday | Comments 0
INSIDE EDGE HOCKEY NEWS – RADIO SHOW | EPISODE 10
Player Survey, Calgary Flames Outlook, and Dirtiest Player
Brad Burud talks about a NHL player survey done by Kevin Allen of USA Today. What do players think about concussions, surprise teams, expansion, and the potential lockout. The answers may just surprise you. Then Auddie James joins the show to breakdown the C...
The Washington Capitals host the high scoring Toronto Maple Leafs at 7PM EST at Capital One Arena. While Washington has had the upper hand the last couple seasons on the Leafs including a playoff series victory in 2017 and a win in the Outdoor Classic, Toronto is a different team this season as they are 4-1 and have recorded three wins on the road so far while scoring at w...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
Matthews$, Offer Sheets, Pettersson Slam and Teams in Troubl
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 36
Matthews$, Offer Sheets, Pettersson Slam and Teams in Trouble
Brad Burud and Blake Friars are fired up to talk Austin Matthews money. Is his future in Toronto? How much will he get paid? Can the Leafs afford him? What is the chance of an offer sheet on him or William Nylander? Then they dive (or slam) into the Elias Petterss...
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...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Instigator |Episode 18 Stop the Childish Celebration
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 18
Stop the Childish Celebration
I am all for having fun when you play hockey. That is why we play the game..but what the Carolina Hurricanes have been doing after wins at home has me shaking my head. What is happening to this league. This is the most childish celebrations I have ever seen. Just when you thought that was the extent of the cele...
It has essentially been a great start for Canadian Teams. All teams are competing in some way for playoffs. That being said, we are seeing the senators fall as they should have. Other teams have been hot and cold. So what do we make of all this?
Let's start with the East.
Toronto Maple Leafs:
This team is always going to be the most hated and most liked, that will n...
The Instigator |Episode 19
Malkin Hit on Oshie | Overreaction?
When Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin drove his shoulder in to the head of Washington Capitals forward TJ Oshie the hockey world went crazy. Half of the people were screaming for a suspension and half thought the match penalty was outrageous. It was an interesting play and call. Brad Burud brea...
Many hockey insiders believe American Thanksgiving to be the time of year where NHL General Managers sit down, take a hard look at their rosters, and evaluate where they are and where their season could be headed. Most teams have played roughly 20 games by this point, so by this time many GMs have developed a solid understanding of what is working for their club, and what ...
The Instigator |Episode 20
Reaves Night of Revenge
Vegas Golden Knights tough guy Ryan Reaves got his revenge on Washington Capitals enforcer Tom Wilson. It came with a vicious blind sided hit. Was it revenge for beating them in the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals or was it revenge for all of the dirty hits and players he has injured over the past few years. I am guessing th...
The Instigator |Episode 21
Winter Classic Rerun: Same Teams Every Year
The Winter Classic is set to play on New Years Day. A great tribute to how hockey began, outside, but…why in the world do we have to watch the same teams each year. This years matchup is the Chicago Blackhawks versus the Boston Bruins at historic Notre Dame Stadium. Sounds epic right, not so muc...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 52
Hey! We are fans too…
It is our most selfish episode ever, but a damn good one. Brad Burud and Blake Friars talk about what they love. It is time to talk about their favorite teams. Blake talks about why he is a Vancouver Canucks fan. Talks about his greatest moments as a Canucks fan and tells you why he thinks they wi...
It started with Chris Wagner, and it ended with Wagner.
Finishing off a California swing of three games in four nights, the Bruins completed the California sweep with a 6-5 overtime win over the Sharks. But the win didn’t come without drama and controversy.
In the first, Chris Wagner’s tip of a shot trickled past Martin Jones, but before the puck could, in real ...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Carolina Hurricanes Finally Getting Results They Deserve
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Have the Carolina Hurricanes turned a corner? Or have they simply been playing this good all year without results?
Spoiler alert: it’s the latter. Let’s start at the beginning of the year and go through the 31st of December.
The Hurricanes controlled 56.33% of shot attempts at 5v5 through the first 38 games of the year, yet they only sported a 16-7-5 record which...
The Instigator |Episode 28
Doughty: Criticism to Boost Your Ego
This week Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty set the hockey world a buzz with this comments prior to a game in Calgary. He praised Mark Giordano, but criticized Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson on their defensive capabilities. He then took aim at Matthew Tkachuk of the Calgary Flames. He claimed that...
Tim Chiasson writes...
Carolina Hurricanes Could Benefit From Special Teams Changes
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Carolina Hurricanes are dominating the NHL playoffs at 5v5, but their special teams play has left much to be desired.
Carolina’s weakness in the playoffs has been their penalty kill and power play units struggling to find success. The Hurricanes poor special teams play nearly wasted a dominating possession performance against Washington.
Tampa found out just ho...
This is a team breakdown for what strategy I'd take as every team.
I'm going to skip over the Devils and the Rangers at 1 and 2 since it's fairly obvious the Devils will take Hughes and the Rangers Kakko. I'm also going no farther than 16 because after that, the possibilities are endless and these combine interviews and scouts could have come up with anything.
Chi...
Liscio3 writes...
Why not try and dump Ceci and sign Gardiner to 1 year.
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hello all, first time writer here and big time leaf fan! Given the leafs current cap crunch and the never ending Mitch Marner saga, i found it odd the leafs signed Ceci instead of attempting to walking away through arbitration and spend that 4.5M elsewhere? I get Gardiner can make HUGE head scratching blunders but he’s consistently titling the ice in the right direction ...
Disturbing news shows that Evgeni Kuznetsov tested positive for cocaine. https://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Aivis-Kalnins/Evgeni-Kuznetsov-suspended-by-the-IIHF/246/101058 Enter the stream of “we don’t see this in the NHL like in other sports” commentary. And yet, we do see it. Every year. Being a Red Wings fan, I saw Bob Probert get in a LOT of trouble. We saw Mike...
Injuries. Every single year someone’s career gets a little derailed by getting hurt at either a prospect tournament, training camp, or in the preseason. It feels like that, anyway.
The prospects tournament in Traverse City is incredible. https://www.centreice.org/page/show/467296-nhl-prospect-tournament Take a look at that schedule. In 5 days (one day off in the mid...
Jeremy Laura writes...
Detroit Red Wings announce “teams” for training camp
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
https://mobile.twitter.com/DetroitRedWings/status/1172156625362272256
Worth checking out. When going to camp each year (until 3 years ago when I got injured) it was always interesting to see the teams posted. It helps to have the list because the rinks (there are 2 there) will post a schedule of which team is practicing or scrimmaging, etc. Usually there was one team yo...
The second week of the regular season has come and gone in the hockey world, and for the Blue Jackets, success has followed. Last week, the Blue Jackets got their first victories of the season, against some of the league’s early success stories.
The Jacket’s first victory of the season came over the Buffalo Sabres, by the final score of 4-3 in overtime. The Jackets ...
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...
So it would appear that Dubas decided to make the trade for a goalie sooner rather than later, which was the correct call. I had anticipated a deal, but the Kings' Jack Campbell was not on my radar. The 28 year old American-born goaltender recently came into some additional games as the Kings have been treading through some difficult waters with their core has slowed down...
In the latest mud slinging from Feschuk, he throws Hutchinson under the bus and pretty much says he has got to go and enough of the sugar coating. I don't disagree that Hutchinson has not been a great back up but to take advantage of his position as a writer for the star and spew venom is uncalled for. Say he is not the answer, but stop playing with a human beings job. rn...
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 dropped there third straight decision Thursday night, in a disappointing loss to the Nashville Predators. A Nashville Team that came into the game three points back of the quickly falling Flames, is now a single point back of them with two games in advantage to boot. Calgary is quickly falling behind, and unless they start playing with some urgency and h...
Saturday night went quite well for the Calgary Flames, bulldozing the Vancouver Canucks 6-2 in enemy territory. It’s no secret this season has been tough for the Flames, especially after such a wonderful year last season, that saw them hit first in the Western Conference. They were a team with a killer instinct, and that finally cam alive against their divisional rival. ...
Just a few days past the Flames lost Captain and defensive rock Mark Giordano to a hamstring injury. Currently, he’s week to week so it’s hard to know when exactly he’ll be back and ready to go, but one thing for sure, is the Flames REALLY don’t need anyone else going down with an injury. Especially so close to the seasons end, with so many teams in the race for ...
The Calgary Flames have had hardly any help from their bottom six most of the season. Outside a couple contributors (Ryan/Dube) they haven’t had much, and to say it has been very concerning is an understatement. However, in the past two games that seems to be coming to an end. San Jose was pummeled 6-2 in their own building by the Calgary Flames Monday night, as the Fla...
The Calgary Flames ended their four-game road trip on a high note, beating the Anaheim Ducks 6-0. Despite the score, the Flames didn’t play great by any means, but the fact that the Ducks were terrible helped them out. Still, Anaheim peppered Cam Talbot with 44 shots, all of which he was able to turn aside. Calgary made the most of their chances, despite Anaheim dominati...
Blackhawks beat the Flames (who were channeling their inner Detroit Red Wing), into the Ice with EASE, by a score of 8-4. The entire game the Flames just couldn’t gain any ground. Every time the Flames looked as though they were starting to get back into, a defensive lapse would occur, they would leave someone all alone in front of the net, and would trail AGAIN. This wh...
With the trade deadline just one week away, I’m genuinely curious about what the Calgary Flames will do. On one hand, the Flames desperately need a top six winger. They’ve needed one for a long while and one has to think Brad Treliving will be adding one. Tyler Toffoli seems to be the guy linked to the Flames, but who really knows? Having said all that, one also has to...
JDB writes...
Granlund Scores with .1 seconds. Flames Lose to Predators
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Once again, the Flames find themselves unable to string together some wins, and once again they lose to a team they NEED to beat. A team that is right behind them in the standings. Once again, the Flames are unable to ring in some consistency and it’s cost them another game yet again. It’s all too predictable at this point with the Flames. They win one or two row and t...
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 ...
GMPM writes...
From the Desk of GMPM: The Catastrophic Cost of Cancellation
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
With the United States’ Center for Disease Control issuing a recommendation of a nationwide eight-week moratorium on gatherings of 50 or more people (and just to clarify, you need more than 50 people, even at minimum, to run empty-arena games), rumors abound of what the NHL can do, if anything, to save some form of 2019-2020 season while still remaining compliant with th...
bikeguy99 writes...
Jets: RFA's and UFA's to keep this off-season, and cap hits
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Jets had to make many difficult decisions over the offseason. Ultimately, I feel Chevy did a great job allowing guy Meyers to walk for a massive overpayment, and Trouba brought a great return. Many were obsiously upset with how the Buff situation went down, and I was too. Hindsight being 20/20, it's far better that Buff waited out the Trouba deal, or the Jets would hav...
kaptaan writes...
3peat - Calder nominees in 3 consecutive seasons - Canucks
Posted Monday | Comments 0
It's a testament to the drafting of the Canucks to get Calder nominees in 3 consecutive seasons without a first overall or even a top 3 pick.
It's the first time this has happened in the post 67' expansion era and the first time in over 50 years.
Also, the Canucks are the first team in the expansion era to have a Calder nominee in 3 straight years with at least one ...
Here are three reasons why the Habs will win the North Division! I dont think you can disagree on any of the below and if you do, please comment! rnrn1. Superior tendies:rnrnThe 2020-21 NHL season is a 56-game sprint with 11 back to backs for the Habs played over 116 days. Having two superior tendies is very key to a team’s success. The Habs have Carey Price (save %. 90...
It is truly a painful year to be a Boston Bruins fan, but that doesn't mean you leave your team in hard times. However, I have some displeasures with how this team has ended up.
Bruce Cassidy and his Bruins have played three games, ending up with the current record of 1 win, 1 loss, and 1 overtime loss. This team needs a serious shake-up, they do not have a single even-...
Teams are working towards the second half push. Those teams who have depended on stick checks and fancy moves will likely win a few, but will be disappointed with some hard losses. I hope to have some insight soon as to who will flourish and who will falter.
As of writing the NHL has postponed 46 games due to covid, almost an entire teams worth of games (shortened season down to 56 games) have been postponed! Yet the NHL doesn’t seem to care nor do they seem like they want to. I see some pretty clear ways they could curve the spread of the virus, now given none of these are perfect nor will they fully stop the spread of Covi...
Living in southern Ontario I'm a hockey fan in general and I noticed the lack of Coyotes coverage on here. So I thought I could add a bi-weekly update on some hockey happenings for the team. With the recent trade of Christian Dvorak to Montreal the Coyotes now only have 6 players (3 Forwards and 3 Defense) signed to the roster beyond the 2021-2022 season. Plus they only ha...
The Calgary Flames are quite possibly one of the most frustrating teams to cheer for, just ask any fan. Why? Well, since their cup win in 1989, this team has been on a downward spiral, with bad coaches, bad GM’s and nearly zero playoff success outside of their miraculous run to the cup in 2004 which saw them lose in game 7 to the Tampa Bay Lightning, and a trip to the se...
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The New York Islanders acquiring Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks is a significant trade that impacts both teams.
From the Islanders' perspective, acquiring Horvat provides the team with a talented, top-line center who can contribute both offensively and defensively. Horvat is a two-way player who has consistently produced at a high level, scoring over 20 goals in...
The New York Islanders acquiring Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks is a significant trade that impacts both teams.
From the Islanders' perspective, acquiring Horvat provides the team with a talented, top-line center who can contribute both offensively and defensively. Horvat is a two-way player who has consistently produced at a high level, scoring over 20 goals in...
The New York Islanders acquiring Bo Horvat from the Vancouver Canucks is a significant trade that impacts both teams.
From the Islanders' perspective, acquiring Horvat provides the team with a talented, top-line center who can contribute both offensively and defensively. Horvat is a two-way player who has consistently produced at a high level, scoring over 20 goals ...
Tom Dusome writes...
Players for your bottom six without breaking the bank
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Here is a list of players I think could be on the move this trade deadline (unlike ivan barbashev) that will be keys to support a contender looking to better their bottom six add depth to their blueline or assurance in goal.
[u]Pending UFAs[/u]
Accairi
Blueger
Glendening
Kerfoot
Kessel
Lyon
Motte
Namestnikov
Stetcher
Sundqvist
Watson
[u]Players with term...
RocketSports writes...
Enhanced Coverage of the Montreal Canadiens on HockeyBuzz
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I may have been the only person planted firmly in my seat amongst a very exuberant crowd at the Bell Centre. Habs fans had erupted with emotion, wildly cheering and chanting the name of Louis Leblanc. The Montreal Canadiens had chosen their supposed number one centre with the 18th pick overall of the 2009 NHL Draft.
In my chair, it was hard to hide the disappointment that...
What a difference a couple of wins can make.
The Montreal Canadiens started their week with their fourth loss in a row to the New York Rangers Tuesday and suddenly, despite them still being very clearly in their rebuilding phase where bumps on the road should be expected, everything about this team was suddenly questioned.
[i]"Will Dach ever regain his form from last...
What a difference a couple of wins can make.
The Montreal Canadiens started their week with their fourth loss in a row to the New York Rangers Tuesday and suddenly, despite them still being very clearly in their rebuilding phase where bumps on the road should be expected, everything about this team was suddenly questioned.
[i]"Will Dach ever regain his form from last...