Tag Search Results for "cap"
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
[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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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://...
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 ...
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...
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...
[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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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://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...
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 ...
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 ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
[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...
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...
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...
-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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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]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...
[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...
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...
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...
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 ...
[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...
[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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Happy Saturday morning
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
enjoy
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]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...
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...
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...
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, ...
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...
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...
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...
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
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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 “...
I did a bit of number crunching last evening. The Flyers face an interesting cap situation following day one of the NHL draft. Here's how things stand and what could happen next.
Cap hit currently stands at: $50,792,000
Players accounted for: Briere, Richards, Gagne, Hartnell, Knuble, Lupul, Upshall, Giroux, Downie, Timonen, Hatcher, Rathje, Coburn, Parent, Kukkonen,...
The Flyers picked up young NHL D man, Steve Eminger in a draft day trade with Washington.
[img]http://dcpages.com/gallery/d/33188-4/16_copy.jpg[/img]
The Flyers paid a significant price in giving over a first rounder, the 27th overall pick, to the Caps for the 24 year old, but they did also get a 3rd round pick from them as well.
Though originally drafted a...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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][...
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...
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. ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
[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...
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...
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...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators battled back and forth like prize heavy-weight fighters in DC on Tuesday night, trading goals on three different occasions. It was Michael Nylander who delivered the knockout blow for the Capitals in the fourth round of a shootout. The Caps never trailed and head to Buffalo with a big two point...
From: http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators battled back and forth like prize heavy-weight fighters in DC on Tuesday night, trading goals on three different occasions. It was Michael Nylander who delivered the knockout blow for the Capitals in the fourth round of a shootout. The Caps never trailed and head to Buffalo with a big two...
http://capsstop.blogspot.com
The 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 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...
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
...
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"...
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...
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
...
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.
...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
[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 - ...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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 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...
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 ...
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.....
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.....
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 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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
...
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...
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/
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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.
...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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
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...
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, ...
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
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...
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
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...
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...
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...
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
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...
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
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
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
...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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
[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...
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.
...
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...
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...
Uninspired Bolts Head to Washington Looking for Change
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Lightning are in DC tonight to take on the Washington Capitals. Despite not being the powerhouse group that haunted the league only a few short years ago, the Washington Capitals boast some great offensive weapons that shouldn’t have any problem feasting on weak defense and spotty goaltending. As Ian Esplen, the Canucks blogger here at Hockeybuzz, always says, “r...
Who needs success when resiliency that leads to failure is a perfectly good option? Once again, the Lightning started out slower than a turtle in a pivotal game. You would have thought that the team would be better prepared to take on the high flying Capitals. In my pre-game report, I mentioned that Ovechkin was a sleeping giant; I also mentioned that I’m terrible at ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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
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...
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 ...
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...
[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...
“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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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, "...
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...
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...
-[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...
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...
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. ...
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 ...
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 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...
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...
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...
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]
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...
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...
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...
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...
[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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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 lose in Washington; Roy unhappy with penalty call
Posted Monday | Comments 0
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
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...
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...
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]
...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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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 ...
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...
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 ...
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...
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...
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...
[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, ...
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...
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...
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...
The Washington Capitals host the high scoring Toronto Maple Leafs at 7PM EST at Capital One Arena. While Washington has had the upper hand the last couple seasons on the Leafs including a playoff series victory in 2017 and a win in the Outdoor Classic, Toronto is a different team this season as they are 4-1 and have recorded three wins on the road so far while scoring at w...
The Instigator |Episode 19
Malkin Hit on Oshie | Overreaction?
When Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin drove his shoulder in to the head of Washington Capitals forward TJ Oshie the hockey world went crazy. Half of the people were screaming for a suspension and half thought the match penalty was outrageous. It was an interesting play and call. Brad Burud brea...
The 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...
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 ...
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...