Tag Search Results for "ot"
A freak blizzard on December 21, 2007 which postponed the Flames and Avs game could potential turn into much more than a one day issue but instead a year ending disaster. With the Flames and Avs going to the wire, this could be one of the greatest finishes in NHL regular season history.
There is also the very real possibility that it could be, depending on how you lo...
jeffyjones writes...
Habs - Out of the playoffs for the 5th time in 8 NHL seasons
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ok right the Habs missed the playoffs... again.
But there are positives to get out of this NHL season. Seriously.
Let's start with [b]Guillaume Latendresse[/b].
This kid has shown a lot of grit and skills at different times this year and has managed to score 16 goals in his first NHL season (and he is 19 years of age!) He is not the next Sidney Crosby but he could p...
As a last minute decision I put together a playoff pool together. I invited a solid amount of hockey fanatics to the draft and ended up with enough for a good time. The draft was a very good time as it lasted over an hour and was pretty much solid hockey talk. The contrast in opinions, the intense loyalties, the fake loyalties and indecision were all omnipresent to the par...
Yes the playoffs are here! And like every other Canadian I am ready for some good ol' time hockey. I've already plastic wrapped the tv to keep it protected from the spit and anything else that might be projected at the tv in anger (note to self...it will not be protected from blunt objects, keep Best Buy flyer close by just in case.) I think there are some very exciting...
Right now it is snowing outside, despite the Global Warming Monster that is stomping unchecked across the country. This snow I take as a sign, some good juju, as it were, for the Minnesota Wild.
This season, the Wild overcame adversity. Their star, Marian Gaborik, was down for what seemed an eternity with a fragile groin. Again. Pretty much every key player was out ...
buddyoakes writes...
I Wish I Could Be More More Optomistic about the Predators
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Thanks to Ek and Hockeybuzz for this addition to the best hockey site in the world!
As I sit on the morning of our third trip seaching for the cup I have mixed emotions. As a Preds fan, two months ago I was ready to take on the world with full confidence that we would go all the way.
All that changed on the night of March 31 when we played the most uninspired game ...
Well folks, it finally has arrived! The playoffs are here and I couldn't be more excited. A great slate of games tonight with what will probably be one of the most exciting series being Ottawa V. Pittsburgh. So much speed and talent on the ice between both teams and two young upcoming goaltenders. Ray Emery has a lot to make up for from last year's run when he laid a f...
zeke10 writes...
How the Canes Will Off Season I: Unrestricted Free Agents
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Ray Whitney said in an article in Raleigh's News and Observer Wednesday, "Same as Jimmy (Rutherford), I'd like to get something done and stay here, the sooner the better." That will be the first part of the off-season, resiging those key pieces.
First to sign will be Whitney, the team's leading scorer with 83 points. It is absoluetley neccessary, considering that Rod Brin...
June 2004. The eve of the Stanley Cup finals. The explosiveness of the top seed Tampa Bay Lightning vs. the grit of the No. 6 seed Calgary Flames. U.S. vs. Canada, new vs. old... it couldn't get any better than this.
While most sports media and casual fans ho-hummed about two "small market" teams meeting in the finals, I was salivating with plenty of other purists who a...
For your reading pleasure:
Western Conference
Detroit over Calgary in 6
Anaheim over Minnesota in 6
Vancouver over Dallas in 5
San Jose over Nashville in 6
Eastern Conference
Buffalo over Islanders in 5 (should go with a sweep...but will throw the Island a bone)
New Jersey over Tampa Bay in 6
Rangers over Atlanta in 5
Ottawa over Pittsburgh in 7
Take t...
I will preface this by saying that, had the Flyers not been the worst team and yet lost out on the top pick, I would not bother to even attempt to find a better method of conducting the Draft Lottery... Also, in this case, it is no major problem in being #2 as opposed to #1. That said:
I understand the reason behind the lottery... since 'tanking' games to obtain a major...
Time to add my two cents into the play-off fray. I love the play-offs, and the addition of play-off pools has only heightened my enthusiasm for this time of year. (I have 7 play-off pools)
I've spent the last few days being bombarded by "experts" picking play-off winners and analyzing every facet of every match up. Its a toss up whether a team is better off with all...
What do you do when you've invested 4 hours in a game, its 1:30am and a full workday looms 6 hours away?
There is nothing better than a Stanley Cup playoff game going into multiple overtimes. There is nothing worse than that alarm clock going off anything less than 4 hours after finally falling asleep. Vancouver and Dallas kicked of what I love most about the playoff...
It seems to me one of the major challenges the Flyers have will be determining what to do with certain players who are, at this point, "tweeners"...guys like Ryan Potulny, RJ Umberger, Dimitri Afanasenkov and Stefan Ruzicka. They aren't really muckers and grinders who should be on checking lines. They have scoring talent; but they may not be ready to take on the role of ...
Living in New York as a Lightning fan is a very interesting experience. Unless you fly down to Tampa, you're never in the majority (not even at Islander games), and you're met with such questions as "Are you [i]from [/i] Tampa?" and "Couldn't you like one of the [i]local [/i] teams?" I guess that type of question is to be expected.
So last night, my dad and I made ...
Brandon Felder writes...
Friday Fight Night - Game 2 - San Jose vs Nashville
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I have some rest and I am now ready to tell all about the game last night. I'm breaking this blog down into sections today that way if people just want to read quotes, they can do that. If you just want a recap, you'll get that. So here are the subcategories:
1. Game Recap
2. Quotes from the Preds locker room
3. Ron Wilson
4. The rivalry and its' bad blood
5. Ga...
Yes the refs were horrible but the pens were as well. I really don't have any idea where Gonchar was in this game. I can honestly say that 3 of the goals may have been his fault. He stood around all night. Also he couldn't keep the puck in the zone on the power play the worst pen all night. Malkin couldn't win a faceoff for his life. Recchi just seems like the game is pass...
Help Me out Hockeybuzz Nation!
Seriously…a friend just came up and asked me that question. My first instinct is to say “no, of course not!” But when you hear the talking heads (Brett Hull, Barry Melrose) talk about us I begin to question it myself.
I don’t think of Hartnell as a dirty player…but ask a Sharks fan and you’ll get an earful.
Ask if they t...
bluez brother_38 writes...
Gary Bettman and why he SHOULD follow Stern's NBA this time
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Commissioner Gary Bettman takes a lot of flack for the way he has ran and continues to run the NHL. Some of it I've always felt is undeserved. Similarly to Bud Selig and the MLB, I believe that Bettman really does things that he feels in the best interests of the league and the sport. And it's hard for me to hate someone the way plenty of fans do when I know he's got good ...
Although the Sabres don't play tonight, there are still 5 games that should be very interesting.
[b]Atlanta/NYR[/b] - [i]Rangers lead series 2-0[/i]
Atlanta must win this game to have any chance. They already gave up both of their home games to start the series. It Atlanta can play well on the road for the next 2 games, they could have a shot at winning. However, I ...
Now the Penguins are down 3-1 to the Senators. Yea it seems impossible but who knows. This penguins team has done so many unexpected things all year why not. This team wasn't even supposed to make the playoffs but they proved everyone wrong. The Pens may be able to catch the Sens relaxing a bit during game 5. If so look out. If the Pens would manage a way to prevail in gam...
caveman writes...
A proposal to tweak the standings points for shootouts
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
One of the more visible changes to come out of the lockout was the institution of the shootout to decide the winner of games which remained undecided after a 4-on-4 overtime. This resulted in quite a lot of excitement for fans to be sure, but also let a few rounds of a skills competition play a large part in determining standings points for a team.
The original move to ...
Trotz looked beaten, saying "We're going to have a mourning period for about an hour, and then we'll look forward to the next game."
What? Is this the kind of response you expect from the guy who is supposed to shape the way his team feels and reacts to a loss like this? I don't think so.
The Preds have not played well these past two games of the series and in doing...
The Pens have played better in the last game but are still down 3-1. They are looking for a way to get momentum. Well couldn't it be a huge momentum builder if the pens could pull off a dramatic win in overtime. This type of win could shift all the momentum in a penguins favor and bring the series back to the igloo. I know it may sound far fetched but i believe in the pens...
We all know tonight is do or die. Win or go home. Win or golf tomorrow. Win or pack up their lockers (and offices maybe if your Trotz) tomorrow.
With their backs to the wall the Preds have to come out and take control of this game early. The crowd will be there (all 17,113 of them) and be waiting to explode with support for their boys. Just give us a reason early. A big...
Spork writes...
Ron Wilson, you're safe this week. Trotz, you're going home.
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It's a shame, but I'm just not sure the Barry Trotz "no-neck" jokes will ever get old...
[b]Switched at birth?[/b]
[img:right]http://www.melindafan.net/gallery/albums/uploads/photoshoots/tvguide%20photoshoots/american%20idol%20top%2012%20tvguide%20photoshoot/AI12TVGuide_3.jpg[/img][img:left]http://images.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/_photos/2006-11-20-trotz.jpg[/img]
...
It always hurts a little (or sometimes a lot depending on your “closeness” to a team) to see your hockey club lose. During the regular season you can soothe the pain by thinking ahead to the next game, but the playoffs hold a certain finality to them. What I mean is, once you have lost 4 games, that is all she wrote for that season, it is over, done, finis...
Series is over but verbal jabs are not
I found this article in today's Star and Tribune seems that there is a lot of bad blood between the two teams that will probably boil over into next season. I have posted a few of the incidents from the series.
The Western Conference quarterfinals officially ended Thursday when the Anaheim Ducks bid adieu to the Wild in five g...
Not many people have seen this clip.So here is it. There is no question the hit was dirty and the punishment of three games was more that warranted.
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTHg9xmsQaM[/url]
Rumor has it that the Preds are picking up the one year option on Barry Trotz and his contract. This means that the coaching staff will be together one more season before the org. will decide whether or not to let Trotz and his staff go. Expect more after the 2 pm PC. Just to clarify, this is a rumor, but I did get it from a qualified media source.
Well, we're a few days out from the sad loss in 2OT to the Wings and the pain of that night has certainly dulled which is nice. It helps to still be able to go to games as our Jr team, the Calgary Hitmen, are playing in the Conference finals right now - beyond most expectations of the team this year (unlike the Flames).
My wish list for the Flames now that we're in the ...
Sabres de Buffalo vs Rangers de New York
Les Rangers ont été surprenant contre Atlanta, mais dans le fonds, si on regarde leurs récentes acquisitions - Brendan Shanahan durant l'été et Sean Avery 1 ou 2 semaines avant la date limite - c'est pas vraiment surprenant qu'il aient battus Atlanta, ces deux joueurs là ont apporté du coeur à cette équipe et le désir d...
Bill Meltzer had an interesting post today regarding the debate over whether or not the NHL should switch to shootouts in the playoffs:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=7179
I stand with Mr. Meltzer on this, and just want to add a thought I had. The people who are looking for a change in playoff format are clearly not hockey fans, or they would know how rid...
A “watershed moment” for pro hockey in the US? [b]Seriously?[/b] National hockey writers gushed about the Sabres/Rangers game 3 overtime game as a turning point to the TV fortunes of Hockey going forward. I couldn’t disagree more!
That game was no more than a pitiful display of soccer on ice. Sure it was interesting because of the stakes…. but the product o...
Well as most Canadians may know. Especially those who follow hockey religiously.
The Politicians have way-ed into Team Canada Hockey Decisions.
Shane Doan has unproven allegations against him that in 2005 he uttered a racial slur
"F******g Frenchman did a good job" in reference to the all French Officiating staff who were working that night.
Now this is one person...
Calm down Ducks fans...I didn’t get confused and not give Scott the credit for his game winning goal. I gave credit to Rob because it was his huge hit on Jannik Hansen that not only turned over the puck but caused Luongo to lose his focus for a brief moment...that’s all it took. Ducks win and advance to the WCF.
"My brother got a big hit on their guy and the puck s...
The Predators picked up the one year options today on the entire coaching staff of the Preds meaning that head coach Barry Trotz, assistants Brent Peterson, Peter Horachek and goaltending coach Mitch Korn will all be back with the club next season.
Preds GM David Poile had this to say about Trotz:
“Teams and ownership change coaches, and managers, for that matt...
HomeIceFan writes...
Sorry Eugene: Either Have Us Full-Time, Or Not At All
Posted Monday | Comments 0
This Ottawa-Buffalo series is going to be an exciting one. Geographically, Leaf fans could easily get their hockey fix being smackdab in between these 2 towns. At the same time, it's easy for Leaf fans to hate both these teams. Do you hate the team that crushed your Cup dreams some years ago, or do you hate the team who brags about crushing your dreams, yet never has? Dani...
Hey pens fans,
Sorry this took so long to post, but life has been hellish, as of late.
Colby Armstrong
He had 34 points this season, which included 12 goals. Colby had a strong season. He played well and is really coming into his own, as a player. I think he will only improve, as time progresses.
Grade: B+
Erik Christensen
This season he had 33 points. He pla...
Supernick writes...
Mes prédictions pour la 3e ronde et Lecavalier contre Price?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Sabres de Buffalo vs Sénateurs d'Ottawa
Les sabres on eu un début de séries plûtot ordinaire contre les rangers mais ils se sont bien repris dans les deux dernières parties. ils ont la chance de compter sur 4 bonnes lignes d'attaque, leur seule faiblesse est l'avantage numérique, ils ne font pas grand chose en avantage. aussi il leur manque un jouer de caractère ...
Coming into work this morning I was greeted with warm sunshine, a cool breeze, and the comfort of knowing the Sabres are still playing hockey. All should be right with the world, but hanging in the back of my head is a cloud of doubt. The knowledge that this could be the last couple games I watch, the fear that Ottawa will be too much for us, that again we will come so c...
First off, I was at the arena tonight...Another amazing atmosphere for sure. And not the prettiest hockey game in the world (turnovers, barage of penalties in the first two periods, plenty of hits, etc.), but certainly entertaining! Here's to much more to come between these two teams!
Now..Credit goes to where credit is due. Congratulations to the Ottawa Senators on ...
WILL THE BUFFALO SABRES AND THEIR SPECIAL TEAMS PLEASE REPORT TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS...THE BUFFALO SABRES AND THEIR SPECIAL TEAMS TO THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS....THANK YOU
That's what I heard over the HSBC p.a. tonight following an embarassing showing (or lack thereof) by the Sabres in game 1 of the ECF. Bottom line is, if their power play continues to b...
Going to my car Thursday morning I was greeted with the cold, wet blanket that can be Buffalo spring. My initial thoughts were concern about how this was going to affect the ice. I knew it was going to warm up, but would the humidity lift, and if it didn’t were the Sabres going to have problems dealing with slow, choppy ice. No matter I thought, game time was twelve h...
After the Parent trade, wasn't this guy supposed to be the Predators' top defensive prospect?
Well, he sure hasn't shown it in the playoffs.
In 19 playoff contests, Franson has just 3 goals an 4 assists to go wth a solid +8 rating. Those are pretty solid numbers for a defensman under normal circumstances. But these aren't normal circumstances. Franson had 17 goa...
Let’s face facts, the Sabres are getting beaten by a better team. They need to come to grips that the mythical 2nd gear that we have been waiting all playoffs for does not exist. They are not better then the Sens, and do not have the players to beat them on talent and skill alone. This sounds defeatist, but it is just realty. The coach and players need to finally ac...
What in the hell happened here? Three games totally dominated by Ottawa. No “ifs, ands or buts” about it. No excuses. A thorough beating. PERIOD.
So… now I have to come up with a few reasons to make myself believe that the Sabres are on the verge of a monumental comeback. Here it goes.
[b]They can replace Kalinin. [/b]
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a s...
Remember the 2007 trade deadline and how the Ottawa Senators were ballyhooed for failing to make any "big moves" at the deadline? "How could they miss out on Gary Roberts?" people cried. Everyone seemed to be calling for John Muckler's head at the time. Ottawa wasn't faring too well in the standings, either. A lot of people were after Brian Murray, too. Remember when,...
Everyone spoke to how fast, talented and overpowering the Sabres were in the regular season, including yours truly. But, as I have stated before and others before me, the playoffs are a different time of year. Winning the President's Trophy means two things, you get a nice trophy and you get home ice advantage throughout the playoffs.
Home ice advantage. Who cares?...
The last three games you picked Buffalo and you saw the results. Our city has a curse as it is, your picking jinx doesn't help.
All kidding aside, the Sabres really are in a huge hole.
Let's hope the 3-0 gives them a HUGE wake up call.
Here's to the team showing up tonight....here's to Miller doing his stuff again...here's for lots of shots and some goals (dare I...
This is perfect! The stage is set... the Sabres got 'em right where they want 'em! I can already feel the pressure mounting on the Sens for game 6! Keep the faith!
Like I said before… the Sabres are on the verge of a monumental comeback! Are there any other teams you would expect to be in this scenario? Buffalo has been known for comebacks all year... Ottawa is known ...
Hey pens fans,
That's right it is back to rumors. So, here's what I have heard. Tom Poti is again being mentioned as a good possibility of coming to Pittsburgh, but we've all heard that one before. Gary Roberts seems to be split between the Pens and the Leafs. I am unsure how this will turn out. Craig Rivet is a longhot, in my opinion, but he is rumored to be a possible P...
If the Wild take anything from this offseason, it should be a lesson from the Ottawa Senators. The lesson is simple: Stay the Course. After yet another disappointing offseason, the Sens could have gone out and tried to makeover their team. Instead, they stayed the course, having confidence in the star players and role players that they had to get them back to where they...
Hey pens fans,
Crosby has been named the sportsman of the year, by the Sporting News.
Rumors - Poti is rumored to have a "good possibility" of being a Penguin next year. Gary Roberts is more than likely going to wind up with Toronto and not return with the Pens, but that still holds a small possibility. I don't care what everyone says Recchi is NOT leaving Pittsburgh a...
This will be the type of Stanley Cup final that attracts hockey fans. A true hockey town (Ottawa) against an non-traditional hockey market (Anaheim) is happening once again. Only this time, there really isn't an underdog. There will be no upset. This is a series where, truly, both teams deserve to win. Looking at the playoffs so far, both teams are about even coming i...
So last Friday I was checking out the weekend schedule and I thought, "Great, Saturday in May must mean playoff hockey on Saturday night".
Oops, no. The 2,000,000 or so perceived hockey fans in the US say the 20,000,000 fans in Canada had to watch hockey on Saturday afternoon. Ok, it's the third round, whatever. Good game, nice OT, Ottawa wins.
Oh, you missed that in...
Supernick writes...
Mes prédictions pour la finale de la coupe stanley!
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Ottawa, pour être honnête, ils me surprennent cette année, je croyais qu'ils allaient se faire éliminer en 1ere ronde par les Pingouins. Daniel Alfredsson joue super bien cette année, mais on dirait que c'est seulement son trio (avec Heatley et Spezza) qui font de quoi, les 3 autres trios sont un peu silencieux. Il ya Antoine Vermette aussi qui fait des bonnes séries...
Game 1:4-2 Ducks Selanne GWG
Game 2:3-1 Sens Heatley GWG
Game 3:6-5 Sens OT Vermette GWG
Game 4:2-1 Ducks OT Pronger GWG
Game 5:3-1 Sens Spezza GWG
Game 6:5-4 Ducks R. Neidermeyer GWG
Game 7:1-0 Ducks OT Selanne GWG in one of the most dramatic Cup Finals Ever!!!! Go DUCKS!
Game 1: Ottawa
Game 2: Anaheim
Game 3: Ottawa
Game 4: Anaheim
Game 5: Ottawa
Game 6: Ottawa
Series: Ottawa wins 4-2
Alfredsson wins Conn Smythe although Emery makes a huge push for the award with his play in the series.
[b]Disclaimer/Update: No need to even read this blog. It was about my streak in predicting winners of playoff games through my PS2. It was at 9 straight games, but it fell victim tonight. The streak is over. In any case, CONGRATS ANAHEIM on that first win! Happy for your fans...Also for Brad May. Still pulling for the Sens though. Gotta go with the Canadian team her...
Well, after a thrilling advertisement for the game of hockey that was Game One, we've come to this: a real crossroads, with Anaheim's old-fashioned physical play (honed by a lot of WHL talent like Getzlaf, Kunitz, the Niedermayers et al) going up against Ottawa's mostly-European speed and finesse (which is no slap against Selanne for the Ducks or Neil for the Sens). It's a...
Hey, let me introduce myself i'm Ray, i'm from Belfast, Ireland (yeah there are hockey fans there!....really!) i'm 21 years old and am a huge Toronto Maple Leafs Fan! HEY STOP THE BOOING ALREADY!
This is the first of hopefully many entries in my blog. Hope you read regularly and enjoy, any feedback or comments are much appreciated.
So the Stanley Cup Finals are here ...
The first two games of this series have been probably the best playoff hockey games I've seen in a while (and I've seen a lot, from the 4OT Buffalo-New Jersey thriller that was probably one of of not THE best 1-0 games ever, to Stevie Y ripping THAT shot over Jon Casey's shoulder in 1996), mostly because for some reason the Galactic Empire (aka the NHL) has allowed its ref...
It seems everyone in Edmonton is drooling over Wade Redden. Behind Bouwmeester, he is definitely the player Oiler fans want to see manning the blueline in the Big E next year.
Speculation is that because of Redden's contract and the Sens needing to resign younger stars that a Redden to Edmonton deal makes sense. We have the young cap friendly prospects and picks to do t...
Well I am going to start off by introducing myself to the hockey world. I am JDawg and a huge hockey fan, and if there is something that I thrive on it is this time of year. Today I want to talk a little bit about the oilers, now just after reading eklunds blog i understand that there might be some big moves made this year for KL, now as much as I at times dont agree with ...
raymullan writes...
The Stanley Cup Finals, Tragically Hip? and Sid gets the C!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Retreat![/b]
[img:left]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42990000/jpg/_42990575_anaheim203.jpg[/img]I was really disappointed with Ottawa the other night, Emery was stellar as usual but the Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley line were flat, their confidence looked really shaken!
I don't agree with many hockey pundits riding Joe Corvo and putting some of the blame ...
From a contact close to the team:
[quote]I got a juicy one for ya......
A respected player [that won't be named] said that there is no way that the Preds are interested in resigning Hartnell, because, for one, everybody in the locker room couldn't stand him.....[/quote]
Well, folks, looks like there was more in common between Walker and Hartnell than their first n...
This is an open question for all the NHLers out there. Unrestricted free agency is almost upon us and a handful of notable free agents such as Scott Gomez, Chris Drury, Daniel Briere, and Ryan Smyth to name a few, look like they will become UFA's.
So here's the big question. As a top level UFA how do you decide which team you will decide to sign with? For some it...
When I found out about the move that versus made last night it made me wonder if the NHL wants this game to flourish in the States. I have often heard that the NHL is a regional game and not national game in the USA, and they should stay that way. Well I am wondering if the NHL is marketing to be a regional sport.
They have their awards show and half the peop...
Sorry, I think another way!!!!!
Hey pens fans,
Mark Recchi will most likely return to the Pens this coming season. I cannot see him leaving, though he has drawn outside interest.
Gary Roberts has drawn heavy interest from Toronto and he will either be a Leaf or with the Pens and I am not sure how this will go.
Tom Poti is drawing lots of interest from all around and the Pens threw their name in...
It's been something that I have been meaning to get to. That first blog post here on MyHockeyBuzz needed something special, a real kick in the pants to get things going. After yesterday's dramatic twist from Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, it looks like summer could be one of the most memorable ones in recent memory for the Flyers organization. Sure, the Flyers picked up Peter Fo...
Here's a list of my top picks for the Wild to pursue this offseason.
Forwards:
[b]1) Jason Blake[/b]
A few things stand out in my mind when I look at Jason Blake. First, obviously, that he was a 40 goal scorer last season with the Islanders and led them in points with 69, but also that he played at a +1 for them over all 82 games. Blake is a ferocious forechecke...
Life after death……or in Buffalo’s case, life after Drury and Briere, is it time for fans to prepare for what seems now to be our inevitable fate?
Like an Atheist afraid of death Buffalo Sabres fans must now seriously ponder what the world will look like if the two captains leave. As was reported on TSN.ca earlier today Briere looks to be gone. Combine the fact th...
As I sit here, at 4:30 in the morning, not being able to sleep due to numerous reasons, I search my feelings on what has happened over the last 40 hours. "Marketplace, marketplace, marketplace"... I hear it over and over in my head. It's like a bad dream. I have tried, without much success, to look on the positive side of things when it comes to the Sabres situation. As I ...
As I sit here, at 4:30 in the morning, not being able to sleep due to numerous reasons, I search my feelings on what has happened over the last 40 hours. "Marketplace, marketplace, marketplace"... I hear it over and over in my head. It's like a bad dream. I have tried, without much success, to look on the positive side of things when it comes to the Sabres situation. As I ...
For fans of the 1977 film Slap Shot, you will recall the Chief's last opponent, the Syracuse Bulldogs. The Bulldogs management filled the team with some of the most infamous goons in hockey history; sociopathic players who had been suspended from various professional leagues for injuring opposing players. With the Duck's signing of Todd Bertuzzi, I think Brian Burke is de...
I've often been asking myself whether a hockey fan can be loyal to their team without renewing their season tickets. Half of me says to renew, while my better half says "no". Although I must give respect to the Coyotes for coming out and saying that we're in a rebuilding time, I just don't agree with it. As a business owner, I know that if I don't put out a product that...
***This article is featured at newyorkislanders.com as the debut article for the innovative NYI Blog Box!!! See it there at [url]http://islanders.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=328634&page=NewsPage&service=page[/url] !!!***
All of us throughout Islander nation have been holding our collective breath waiting for a monumental signing since the opening of “Free Agency Frenzy...
Can Jason Arnott be the hero the Nashville Community needs?
While the fate of the Nashville Predators continues to twist in the wind of uncertainty one thing came to mind. We need a hero! Bonnie Tyler style…
Where have all good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where’s the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?
Goalie Chris Mason recently pur...
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...
With all the action surrounding the first week of the 2007 unrestricted free agency season, I decided to take a look ahead to next year to see what's in store for us. Barring any contract extensions (and there will be at least a couple) it appears that next year many teams will finally have their opportunity to acquire an elite puck moving defensemen. The crop of talent ...
As most Islanders' fans knew, Snow gambled the Isles future on Ryan Smyth. Not only at the deadline giving up two former 1st rounders along with a future one, but after the season ended with the 8 Year, $40 Million Contract Smyth was reportedly offered. Putting all his eggs in one basket, Snow battled until Ryan signed the dotted line with Colorado missing out on a few key...
[u][b]By: Jon Cunningham[/b][/u]
The signing of Goaltender Scott Clemmensen by the Leafs has raised a lot of questions. He has reportedly been signed to a 1-Year deal worth 1-Million, the Contract also is reported to be a two-way contract, meaning Clemmensen can be sent down to the Marlies and only a small fraction his contract will count against the cap.
Well, this...
I have always looked at this time of the year with mixed emotions. While it is exciting as a hockey fan to see teams retool, rebuild, or reinvent themselves, it is also a time of frustration, anger, and sadness.
I am frustrated that my Blackhawks may still suck for yet another season because the ownership is cheaper than my little Italian Grandfather. And that is damned...
Last season the defense of the Minnesota Wild was the best in the league allowing a league-low 184 goals against, seven less than the nearest team (Detroit). So what could the league's best defense do this off-season? Well the first thing they did do was sign their worst defenseman (Martin Skoula) to a two year deal, giving us two more years of a weak link. Then they add m...
BluesHockeyOhBaby! writes...
St. Louis Blues Prospect Camp: Bright Future
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I have been all around the Blues prospect camp this week and I have been impressed with the amazing talent and skill that is being shown out there by some of the Blues brightest young stars. Some we will see sooner than others, but the future of St. Louis Blues hockey is going to be amazing. Here are some of the players that were quite impressive: (in no particular order)
...
I'm guessing that it is a safe bet that I wouldn't want to be Timmy P from the Philly Enquirer today. If I was a real bitch, I'd email him (again) and remind him (again) that Roenick's text message retirement announcement was never confirmed.
But I'll be a good girl.
I'll just email him the article from The Hockey News instead.
And it must be a full moon, the Ariz...
ItsJacketsTime writes...
Scorers Draw Crowds, Goaltending Wins Championships
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Hey guys.
Seeing as this is my first post I think I should introduce myself. My name is Matt and I'm 15 years old. I live in Cincinnati, OH and I'm mainly a Columbus Blue Jackets fan. I've been a hockey fan my entire life, when my parents raised me on the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL and IHL. And ever since, I've been hooked. With that, let's blog.
The one thing the...
I thought I'd throw out some off-season humor. A few months ago, Alexi Ponikarovsky had a signing acorss the road from where I worked at the time (Newmarket, ON). Anyways, after I paid my some $17 (and change) for a Leafs flag and signature (the signature was more than the flag BTW) some bald guy made his rounds down the line with a sticky notepad asking what we wanted h...
As I sit back and watch a replay of the 1994 Grey Cup game because the BC Lions game is blacked out, it reminds me of watching that game live and what it meant. For those that don't know or remember, the game was between the BC Lions and the Baltimore Colts, Stallions, CFLers whatever you want to call them. This was an American team in our CFL. This American team was comp...
I think Coyotes fans, more than most, have spent these first few weeks of the Free Agent signing season looking at each other and saying, "Who?"
We realize, naturally, that the Yotes are going to "get to the playoffs" on the cheap this year. Cheap and young. Why, they might even have to have Kool-Aid in the locker room for this bunch. And they certainly are going to hav...
Last night the late local news in Pittsburgh led off with the Jordan Staal arrest, complete with a picture that appeared to be his "mug shot" (because we all know how much more menacing people look in those pictures!) The lead-in for the story was something along the lines of "A local athlete arrested under multiple charges..."
The "lead story" is designed to catch your...
I took a casual glance at the roster for the Phoenix Coyotes this morning. I realize, of course, that they still have quite a bit of money to spend to fill out that roster. But I also realize that they won't spend it. So this, my friends, this is the roster that we will be working with come October.
In the "promising, up and coming, youth movement" category we have... ...
Retro-Buzz III: Grant Fuhr
With all the negative press about Kevin Lowe and the Edmonton Oilers, why not shed a positive light on the team's history. Grant Fuhr was a spectacular goaltender who was the backbone of the Cup runs in the 1980s.
Pre-NHL
Grant Fuhr was born September 28, 1962 in Spruce Grove, Alberta, outside of Edmonton. In 1979, at the age of 17, Fuhr br...
Well what a day it was today, I worked nearly 12 hours between two food industry jobs and brought in well over $100 in tips, yeehaw! However, the glory of the day was when I saw a gigantic young man walk into Domino's. I looked at him and thought 'wow, he's really big.' I looked at the pizza that said 'John' on it and said, "Are you John?" he said "Yes." I said "John Scott...
The $64,000 question for Anaheim fans since Lord Stanleys Cup was ferried around the Honda Center ice by the victorious Ducks back in the first week of June has been whether or not Teemu and Scotty would be back to defend their championship. (Although maybe we should bump it up to $128,000, because it really is two separate questions.)
Scotty is one of the most accompl...
[img:left]http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/writers/allan_muir/11/07/GM.meetings/tx.forsberg.jpg[/img]I still remember vividly the 02/03 season. The Colorado Avalanche we're still in a dynasty with the likes of Peter Forsberg, Joe Sakic, Milan Hedjuk, Alex Tanguay and Patrick Roy. Forsberg led the league in scoring with a 106 point campaign (29G, 77A), and a league leading +52. F...
I am and will forever be a Maple Leafs fan, i know that the team hasnt brought Stanley home in a long time, hell i wasnt even born and 15 other teams have won the cup since 67 so it could be worse but that doesnt change the fact that i am a fan and will continue to be, friendships have been formed thanks to Leaf fans uniting, memories established and moments shared as we a...
This blog's story takes place last night at the Buffalo Bills pre-season game against the Atlanta Falcons. As I arrived at the stadium with my friend Shell, I see a few Vick jerseys walking into the area and I start to think to myself that this can get ugly after people get more beer into them.
As we get to our seats, we notice that there are 2 Vick wearing Jersey guys ...
Ron Guillet writes...
Trial Of Champions : Projection Of The Ottawa Senators
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Alrighty, compadre's, I've done the Leafs, Habs, Sabres and Bruins up to this point and now I'm going to the last team in the Northeast Division... The Ottawa freaking Senators. A team who I despise and loathe for several reasons, which includes Daniel Alfredsson, Chris Neil and Ray Emery ( not to mention Dominik Hasek played for them in 05-06) but let's get one thing clea...
On my way in to work this morning, I heard a very interesting story. The Blues have a 33% increase of season ticket sales this year (compared to last) giving them 8500 sold so far. The rams, however, are currently looking at more than half of their regular season games not sold out. This is a first since the team moved here in the mid 90's. The radio personality asked ...
[b]Originally Posted on [url]www.PredNation.com[/url][/b]
Michael Peca signs with Columbus. Detroit signs Brian Rafalski to replace Mathieu Schneider. St. Louis signs Paul Kariya and re-signs (of a sort) Keith Tkachuk. Chicago obtains/signs Sergei Samsonov, Robert Lang, Patrick Kane, Kevyn Adams, and Yanic Perreault. Those are just a few of the moves made by our div...
Ok, a month or two ago, I was reading that Pete was going to play for his father's league back in Sweden...What happened?
TSN.com is reporting that Ottawa and Vancouver are now in a "race" to pick up this injury-prone forward from his one year stint in Nashville after being dealt away by the Philadelphia Flyers. His career is winding down, and I honestly think that if h...
Rangers sign Drury and Gomez! Rangers re-sign Shanahan! Rangers re-sign Lundqvist! Well, you get the idea...
Everyone is talking about the moves that the Rangers have made in the off-season. And granted, they do play in the biggest media market in the United States, so that alone will get you lots of press coverage. But no one is talking about their rival 2 hours d...
Speaking with a few sources in the past day or two, I've been told that the Rangers and Coyotes are talking about a trade that would send Montoya, Malik and Kasper's salary to the Coyotes for Jovo and a top prospect.
At the moment, no one knows which prospects are being talked about, but we know that Rangers are asking for a forward in return.
Folks, I think from th...
Hey all, thanks for checkin out my first blog.
My topic of interest today is "Why Hockey?":
What is it about sports that makes people become so passionate. More specifically, what is it about hockey that brings together so many people while uniting around one team, and divides so many others while competing against another? What makes hockey so much different from o...
With little to discuss between now and the preseason, when hockey begins again, I thought I'd begin a feature called "Video of the Day", which features some great moments from the Leafs 2006-07 season.
The first feature comes from a game against the Ottawa Senators on February 3rd, 2007. The Leafs and Sens, tied 2-2 after OT, go to a shootout. The Sens had been the hot...
For fans of the 1977 film Slap Shot, you will recall the Chief's last opponent, the Syracuse Bulldogs. The Bulldogs management filled the team with some of the most infamous goons in hockey history; sociopathic players who had been suspended from various professional leagues for injuring opposing players. With the Duck's signing of Todd Bertuzzi, I think Brian Burke is dem...
For many people this time of year is as exciting as Christmas. It’s hockey season. The weather is cooler and training camps are opening. Here in Nashville it’s been one of those off seasons that everyone would just soon forget. The Predators fans are ready for some hockey talk that involves the actual game of hockey and not the business of hockey.
We are tired of h...
Jason Arnott has been named captain of the Nashville Predators for the 2007-2008 season.
Brilliant choice.
Do you know why that was a brilliant choice, my friends?
Because Jason Arnott once saved his dog's life by giving it CPR after it had fallen into a swimming pool.
THAT is the kind of leadership we need on the team, people.
(Congrats to Arnott, a great p...
Seeing as this is my first blog, here's a little bit of background information:
I'm a Leafs fan. Living in Ottawa.
In the grand scheme of things, that's all that really needs to be said.
Now, this past weekend it got rather cool in the nation's capital. Naturally, such temperatures call for a ... [i]sweater[/i]. But I decide to don not just any sweater ... I decid...
Yesterday I came across an article from the Asssociated Press regarding Jordan Staal and how he's embarrassed about his incident in the offseason. As well he should be.
However, what struck me as odd was that Mr. Bettman and the NHL have chosen not to issue any further discipline on him or Eric for their off ice behaviour. Nor are they going to levee any further discipl...
Went to the Preds' first pre-season home game last name.
Much fun was had.
The Good:
-Beautiful, new HD scoreboard
-Two points each for Arnott, Dumont, and Zidlicky
-Gnash (our mascot) mocking the NFL by videotaping the Thrashers' bench
The Bad:
-The dancers (more on that in a future post)
-Sound issues (the lower bowl could not hear the announcements)
The...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo - Flyers Preseason 07
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:JeEvEAeZYd1vtM:http://www.geocities.com/mattreigns/Westerns/goodbadugly.jpeg[/img]
Translated from Italian it actually reads The Good, the Ugly and the Bad. Linguistics notwithstanding, Clint Eastwood's performance in the starring role in this 1966 spaghetti western, directed by Sergio Leone, is [u]far and away[/u] the best West...
I was disgusted by hearing Steve Downie left his feet to hit Dean McAmmond, I was even more disgusted when I seen the hit on Sportscentre. Dean McAmmond skating behind the net, turning the corner to head up ice, some argue he had his head down, and Steve Downie charges across the ice, leaves his feet to take him out. McAmmond was turning the corner, weather or not he had h...
Took in the FLyers-Sens game last night. *YAWN* pre-season hockey is less than desirable. Even the kids trying to earn roster spots did themselves no favours last night.
Nycholat fit in on the Sens blueline without any problem, he is clearly ready for a roster spot. I would say it comes at the expense of Schubert. I cannot imagine any sens fans complaining about tha...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
SYF's Top 10 List - Players you would like to see this year?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Before moving to the Top 10 list, I wanted to comment on the events that occured last night in the Flyers/Senators pre-season game.
The injury to Dean McAmmond is on the minds of all hockey fans, as it should be. The hit by Flyers prospect Steve Downie was unconscionable and flat out wrong. Irrespective of what Colin Campbell does, Downie should - and will - be punish...
JerZey_Devil2144 writes...
When to suspend.....and some personal observations.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I want to take a slightly different look at the recent furor at headshots in the NHL. Do I think they should be minimized? ABSOLUTELY! Do I think they can be completely eradicated? No, I dont, they happen, this is a fast game played by fast men but just because something is a head shot doesnt mean it should automatically be grounds fro a suspension. Hell anytime a big d-ma...
The Coyotes will play in Dallas on Thursday night and then end the pre season in Colorado on Saturday and they have a few young guys you may want to keep your eye on as the roster continues to get down to regulation.
Both Peter Mueller and Martin Hanzel continue to look good and more and more comfortable with each time on the ice. Although Mueller and Hanzel both missed...
Since the issue seems to have overtaken all else in the hockey world in terms of importance and exposure, I figure the Downie hit is as good of a play as any to spark my first commentary on hockeybuzz.
First off, due to some frustrating technical problems with the NHL Center Ice Online package, I was unable to see the hit live, but I did listen to the audio feed from th...
Buffalo edges out Pittsburgh in an unusually EXCITING preseason game. Not often are you on the edge of your seat listening to the radio. AND, no Sidney Crosby (boo hoo) and the debut of the new hi-def jumbotron.
So much emphasis was put on the free agent extravaganza over the summer, when the Rangers seemingly signed two players that would put them over the top. Scott Gomez had tormented the team from across the Hudson with the New Jersey Devils and of course Chris Drury who squashed Rangers Stanley Cup hopes with a last second goal in last year's playoff series against the Buffa...
The rest of the NHL teams are about to start their regular season. Hockey is starting tomorrow! So, I decide to get this last blog out of the way so I can focus on enjoying the game we all love. My previous blogs:
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://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php...
I would like to on a weekly basis share some of my thoughts about that weekend that was, the week to come, and any other quirkly news hitting the airwaves.
I would like to offer first a prediction of the teams that I think will make it to the second season
East
1) Ny rangers good additions, not great. should have spent money on D. Should have gone after hannan, or wa...
First off, Go Leafs Go. I will be watching the game on TSN tonight with my 5 month old son, this will be the first NHL game he has ever seen and I am excited! He will likely not understand whats going on, but being a die-hard Leafs fan, I feel it is important he is exposed to the blue and white at an early age! I will remember this night forever as the first time my son an...
Woot woot. Per TSN, Heatley will be a Sen for at least 6 more years. Gotta say, signing him for under 8 is nothing less than a coup for Bryan Murray. People can only speculate what he could have gotten on the open market, but obviously it could easily be a million or two higher.
Next up for the Sens will be Spezza, although don't be shocked if Kelly is the priority...
This opening night feels different. There is no other way to say it…it just feels different. This is the ten year anniversary of this team. I was there at it’s birth and thought that today I would feel like a proud parent…but instead I feel empty inside. With so much uncertainty this Pred fan is fatigued. That is why I have not posted in forever. I couldn’t brin...
[b]Originally posted on [url]www.PredNation.com[/url][/b]
This article must begin with apologies on my part for the delays in posting this article. I’ve mentioned several times before that I’m not a journalist. A combination of my real job as a software engineer as well as a couple of rounds of illness has managed to really put a dent into my schedule.
The dela...
This is a two part post, first my I explain why the Wild take the 07-08 Stanley Cup Championship. The second I will highlight my first game day mock game, for this I will be playing against the opponent scheduled (today the Hawks) in a hopeful (or today, not so hopeful) representation of todays game.
Over the last few years the Wild have taken a good approach to signing ...
Statement made. That's the way I look at last night's 4-0 Predators win over the Colorado Avalanche. Statement made.
Yes I know that one game does not a season make but Colorado is a good team...a team everyone is predicting to make the playoffs. They are loaded with fire power and the off-season addition of Ryan Smyth gives this team yet another weapon. None the...
An interesting matchup tonight for the Blue Jackets. Coming off what has to be a disappointing road loss in Minnesota, the Jackets have had time to recharge and focus on their opponents for game 3. Though the season is young, it is not premature to call this a "crucial" game.
Had the Jackets won more games last year against teams beneath them in the standings, they wou...
It's hard not to overlook the ridiculous goaltending of Pascal Leclaire through his first two starts, but 60-for-60 to start the year isn't too shabby.
The Blue Jackets put Saturday's disappointing loss behind them, and moved on to Wednesday's game against the Phoenix Coyotes. Coach Ken Hitchcock was not particularly impressed with the team's play in the final period S...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on the Canadiens at the Mellon Arena. They lost to Montreal 3-2. During the game, there were times where the Pens looked magnificant and there were times when they could not complete a pass if their lives depended on it. It was an up and down night. Unfortunetly, the Pens did not pull this one out on top.
The Pens' goals were...
Sometimes it just isn’t your night. That was the case last night as the Predators suffered their first loss of the year at the hands of the division rival St. Louis Blues 4-1. From the start the Preds seemed to be playing the part of the Washington Generals to the Globetrotting Blues.
They let them get up early, on a pretty goal from Brad Boyes started ...
Three games into the regular season The Phoenix Coyotes are 1-2-0 and have managed 4 total goals while allowing 8. They have yet to score a power play goal and the top line of Doan Kapanen Vrbata has generated 5 points in three games 1-4-5 so where are the signs of progress and optimism moving forward? Perhaps the best sign is the surprising line of Winnik Hanzal Weller wh...
He damn well shouldn't be. That is for sure. I cannot even believe what I saw last night. A fourth line plug, who isn't even really good enough to be called a plug, cross checks a skilled player in the face. Ryan Kesler did not see it coming, there was no reason for it (Boulerice says that Kesler took a run at Randy Jones...ya...ok...), he didn't have the puck, and he ...
It was a great day for rookie goaltenders making their first career starts yesterday. Montreal's Carey Price stopped 26 shots in a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. On an interesting note, Habs' greats Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy both made their NHL and Habs debuts against the Pens, Roy's debut occurring on the exact same date as Price's. Some critics are saying that Pr...
Well the Preds remedied the shots on goal situation that I talked about in yesterday’s post but failed to post a win against a pesky Coyotes team (they out shot the Coyotes 39-24). I felt like the Yotes beat the Preds at their own game last night as they didn’t necessarily play the better game but were bailed out by strong play in net.
Despite getting two goals from...
Well the Preds remedied the shots on goal situation that I talked about in yesterday's post but failed to post a win against a pesky Coyotes team (they outshot the Coyotes 39-24). I felt like the Yotes beat the Preds at their own game last night as they didn't necessarily play the better game but were bailed out by strong play in net.
Despite getting two goals from ...
I had a co-worker come up to me today an ask me if I saw the Tootoo hit last night. I told him that I had not, and he proceeded to get all excited, exclaiming that it was,
"Just like Downie!! Oh man it was the same thing again!!"
So I figured I should take a look myself to see what really happened. So I went to tsn.ca and watched the highlights from the Coyotes-P...
In a letter written by a local business man who was heavily involved with the campaign of Nashville's new mayor it appears Jim Balsillie is ready to try to dance again.
Here is it in it's entirety:
[i]I (Bo Roberts) am writing on behalf of a client of NetCom LLC, Predators Sports and Entertainment LP (“Purchaseco”). We have been asked to summarize my client’s ...
Where is Weller Suspension? that’s right the refs got it wrong giving him an match pentaly
Where’s Tootoo’s Suspension? I didnt happen
nhl still holding a grudge against the flyers all these years.....
The 2007-2008 season is only four games old, but a disturbing trend has already settled in with the Blue Jackets.
After a solid team performance in the home opener against Anaheim, Columbus traveled to Minnesota the next night and played another good team game, albeit for 40 minutes.
During the third period of that game, the Jackets diverted from their game plan and...
One thing I've discovered about blogging about your favorite team...when they lose it's hard to write. Writing when they win is easy.
"They played a great game."
"The boys looked sharp."
"The other team played well but just didn't have it."
"This was a quality win against a quality team."
Seriously...cliches abound when you are talking about winning but when yo...
CBJ09 writes...
No Suspension for Westcott; Hitch Shuffles the Deck (Again)
Posted Monday | Comments 0
After a day of cooling off following a disturbing 5-1 loss to the Avalanche, the Blue Jackets returned to practice this morning. Most of the players were present, with the exception being Fredrik Modin. He's been nursing a sore groin, and the coaching staff decided it was best to give him the day off.
Aside from the usual morning practice procedure, GM Scott Howson had...
I've seen the replay of the Weller Tootoo dust up about 15 times at least. Here's my opinion for what it's worth and I've been throwing it around since the Sutton hit and no one's paid me a dime.
The Tootoo hit was at least as bad as the Downie hit. Both hits were against a guy coming around the net and not paying attention but Downie stopped skating at the blue line, ...
This is my belief. The preds will get back on track and it starts tonight. Deep down it’s what I have to believe as a fan. As I have started trying to take this blog thing more seriously (thanks Ek for encouraging it) I find myself torn between reporting the story as a journalist or as a fan. Today I come down on the side of the fan...an unhappy fan looking for somet...
I’ve said it before and I'll say it again. I hate writing after a Preds loss and the way this season is going I may have to a ton of this writing. The Preds lost their fourth straight against the defending Stanley Cup Champion Ducks last night in a 3-1 game.
I know I am going to sound like a homer here but this game could have easily gone the other way. The Pr...
While many teams view the comfy confines of a nice home stand I think there are times when a little road trip is just what the doctor ordered. That, I believe, is the case right now with the Preds.
Mired in the a four game losing streak (3 at home and one on the road) the Preds step away from comfortable home beds, wives, children and any sense of routine. The ...
You know the saying...'desperate times call for desperate measures.' That is exactly what the Preds find themselves facing tonight as they attempt to halt a four game skid against the Sharks.
If there is one team that the Preds know well it's the Sharks. The Preds have fallen short against them each of the last two years in the the playoffs. Pred players probably see ...
I feel like an auctioneer...'we have four. Do I hear five? Five - thank you team in teal. Do I have six?'
Seriously...what do we have to do to get a win around this place? The Preds played a great game last night. Mason was as solid as I've seen him since game two and the team was really keeping pace with the Sharks. We just ran into another goalie playing out of his m...
Here is a quote from tsn.ca's (http://www.tsn.ca/fantasy_news/feature/?fid=549) power rankings.
[quote] Chris Mason opened the season with two outstanding games and has struggled ever since. Perhaps it's time to take a step back and give backup Dan Ellis some work. [/quote]
Okay...I get that the Preds have lost five in a row and that Mason had some shaky games but ...
There is an article in today’s Ottawa Sun ([url]http://ottawasun.ca/Sports/Senators/2007/10/23/4597676-sun.html[/url]), which talks about how Foppa is getting close to making his decision and may be choosing between Ottawa and Colorado.
While I won't speculate on which team he's likely to go to, I will say that this makes sense. Last week I talked to someone who told...
Enough already! I am getting sick of writing about losing. For those who think winning is overrated they should try losing five games in a row...it sucks! To remedy this situation I thought I would write the blog that I want to be writing tomorrow today...you know some of the Tony Robbins positive thinking stuff. So here we go!
[quote]Now that was Predators hockey...
BluemanGuruu writes...
Why the Ducks Should Be Watched WIth Close Eyes By NHL
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
First off I want to say that the Blues/Ducks game was a well played game by a number of skilled players. After that I want to say the officiating was a bit questionable but understandable, those guys have a tough job and obviously don't see everything...but I'm sure they saw a few things they chose not to call. But what irks me more than anything is the style that the Du...
Tony Robbins is full of crap! I tried that positive thinking stuff yesterday and got nothing!
There is no where to start on this one. The Preds stunk up the place last night. They looked bad start to finish.
Something has got to change. The Preds cannot continue to keep playing this way.
That is why today I have finally come to the conclusion that Trotz really ...
Three games, that is what lies in front of the Coyotes beginning Thursday night with the Anaheim Ducks and ending Saturday November 3rd with the same Ducks. Not only three games against division rivals (the Coyotes entertain Dallas on the 27th) but if young rookie Peter Mueller plays in all three games it will bring his total number of NHL regular season games played to ni...
So...after instituting the Crotch Bang on my blog the Preds went on to lose six games in a row. That was brought up to me by Hockeybuzz user 'themax':
[quote][i]October 24, 2007 9:24 AM ET | Delete
notice how the Preds have fallen apart since you introduced this bizarrely gay "crotch bang" phrase into your blogs? You've cursed them. Try writing a blog w/o it and I thi...
...i didn't happen to find the knuble penalty as influential on the game as the riley cote holding penalty.
cote, and all 4:01 of playing time, decided it necessary that he go aggressively into the offensive corner and make an impact on the game. leaving his brain most likely somewhere in philadelphia, took a terrible penalty while the team had momentum, but was unfort...
Chris Mason will be back in goal tonight for the Predators as they face the Calgary Flames at the Saddledome. Tonight begins the first of a stretch of five road games for the Predators and all are against worthy opponents. No off nights here. The Western Canada swing is always a tough one for any team then they follow it up with stops in Chicago and Detroit before he...
While it's early in the season to declare any game a must win I am going out on a limb and saying that tonight’s game against the Canucks is a must win. The Preds have got to win this game, if for no other reason, to prove to themselves and others that they can win on the road.
As a Preds fan you know how bad it is. 0-5 on the road...can't buy a goal to save ours...
That’s the song that Pred Nation is singing this morning (that is if they are awake after the 10p central start last night!). Once again Dan Ellis is called upon and for the third time in a row he answers with a win and his second shutout in three starts. To say that he might be a hot goalie right now might be an understatement.
The Preds had a solid game plan las...
Well...not quite the same verse (it would have to have been a shut out to do that) but it was close enough as Dan Ellis led the Preds to a 4-1 victory on the road tonight against the Edmonton Oilers. Once again Ellis made some huge saves at critical times...the toe save against Hemsky when the game was knotted at 1-1 was very big!
Great play tonight from Arnott and Legw...
Friday night at the AAC in Dallas there was a pile up much like the ones in NASCAR races. Phoenix piled up 5 goals and the home team went round and round like cars do but could not finish. Had plenty of chances but Tellequist and company stopped all chances. Phoenix looked good and Dallas looked like a team struggling. Poor D Zone coerage at times plus no gaols = 3rd strai...
Wow....a .500 record has never looked so good. After a six game losing streak that had many Preds fans on suicide watch the Preds have turned their season around. Sparked by the great goaltending by Dan Ellis the Preds are in the midst of a 3 game winning streak and have won 5 of their last six. So, what has happened that has caused this turn around.
[b]Dan Ellis:[/b] T...
This is my first blog on this site, and will be one of many more into the future... I hope.
The players for the All-star Fan Ballots have been announced, and already there are a few notables left off...
Martin Gerber, Rod Brind'amour.... etc.
Now, using these two as prime examples, statistically they are among the best players in the league. Gerber leads th...
[b]Wings and Preds[/b] tonight at 6:30 cst from the Joe on FSN. The Wings, as usual, have started out red hot and are leading the tough Central. The Preds are on a bit of a roll wining 5 of their last 6 and three in a row. This is, by far, their toughest test of the year.
The Preds always seem to play the Wings tough and I expect the same kind of effort tonight. I loo...
We all know that as fans it seems like there are only 2 emotions in our fan-lives, a giddy rollercoaster of ups and downs, from supreme and utter glory as our team wins to dark, lonely despair as they fail don't.
In some ways it's easier to be a fan of a really good team, like the Wings, or a fan of a struggling team, like the Blue Jackets.
The Red Wings of the pas...
Maybe I don't understand the criteria. The All-Star game is in February. How is it possible that the All-Star Ballot selections have already been made before all the teams have played even 15 games of the 82-game season? If the powers that be can already make selections based upon the evaluation of nominal evidence that all these players named are having all-star years,the...
You read it right. I figured since none of the usual top Pacific Division teams really want to get their games going and take a lead to win the Division, then why not Phoenix? They have a bunch of "no name" kids on the team that can all play the game. Aside from Shane Doan and Jovo, who else is well known? I would love to be in the locker room and experience the new bl...
Wins in six out of their last eight games.
Points in seven of their last eight.
Yes it is time to recognize that the Predators are back. Last nights 4-3 shootout win is proof of that. Sure the Preds gave up a two goal lead but they were able to come away with two points. Following the game their was frustration in the locker room over the fact that they let the Blue ...
[img]http://boredplanet.com/img/returnoftheking.jpg[/img]
http://new.wavlist.com/movies/093/aod-hailking.wav
Garth Snow hemmed and hawed when he had to figure out a solution to his horde of defensemen at the start of this season. Bryan Berard sat for days waiting as the season started, and all he could do is practice on his own dollar as the Isles looked f...
Every time Al MacInnis appears on the jumbotron in St. Louis, the crowd cheers. Al MacInnis is a class act, and his Hall of Fame status has been bringing back great memories. Because of my age, most of my memories come from his time in St. Louis, so feel free to add any more in the comments. Here I go:
-His Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe in Calgary. I've only really seen t...
Ok everyone time is at hand vote for your favorite players. I strongly encourage everyone to not just pick from the list but to consider write in votes for their favorite players.
Here is my voting list yes I am a Flyers fan so please excuse my bias
Eastern Conference:
Danny Briere
Alex Ovechkin
Write In Mike Richards
Kimmo Timonen
Wade Redden
Marty Biron
...
I have an eerie, excited feeling about tonight's game, one I have not felt since last year. I had anticipated the Sabres' slow start to this year, and I even called it in my preseason blog. I also have said they will turn it around, and I truly believe that.
Tonight is a big game for them, and as I said, I just have this weird good feeling about it. The Sabres have b...
Sorry it's been a while. I was on deadline in my glorious job in the world of publishing last week, and then, went away for the weekend.
Check out my newest Battle NY: Sibling Rivalry 2, which is a debate with my Ranger fan brother:
http://islanders.hockeybuzz.com/index.php?post_id=11195
Now, let's get to business . . .
So here we are, upon a Monday night dreary...
Living in Ottawa, it was natural I would become a Senators' fan after years of cheering for Steve Yzerman and the Wings... Heck, finally I could rant and rave about a team in my own backyard! I could randomly run into players from the NHL on nearly a weekly basis (gotta know the right clubs)...
But, a few years back the team took a huge step in the wrong direction for...
Here's what NHL 08 says will happen after Ronan Tynan's performance:
Fights:
Fisher vs. Pratt
Goals:
Stafford (Campbell, Roy) 6:00 1st PP 1-0 Sabres
Mair (Spacek) 9:59 1st 2-0 Sabres
Vanek (Tallinder) 11:03 1st 3-0 Sabres
Connolly (Afinogenov) :23 2nd 4-0 Sabres
Alfredsson (Heatley, Meszaros) 15:45 2nd PP 4-1 Sabres
Fisher (Vermette, Eaves) 17:53 2nd 4-...
DucksFan07 writes...
Lecavalier and the All Star Ballot - What is the Deal?
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Sidney Crosby leads all Eastern Conference vote getters by over a 2:1 margin. Will he end the season with over 240 points and is he twice as good as his closest talent? I say assuredly "No." The leading scorer in the NHL and the best player in the NHL today is Vincent Lecavalier and he has less than one third the votes of Sid. What gives? Daniel Briere, a great player...
JerZey_Devil2144 writes...
A chat about NHL History with Martin Brodeur....
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
This is not my own work, its courtesy of this mornings Newark Star-Ledger, but I thought that this was too good not to share with everyone out there, not just Devils fans but fans of the game...
Here is a lesson on hockey history from a surefire future hall of famer.
Which NHL dynasty was the best team: the Montreal Canadiens of the 1970s, the Islanders of the 1980s...
The first place Ottawa Senators lost 4-2 to the lowly Buffalo Sabres in what was expected by some to be a one-sided game, namely myself. In the first period nothing went right for Ottawa, as turnovers were common and the defensive zone coverage was pathetic. Ray Emery played poorly in the first, allowing 3 goals on 14 shots including a brutal goal from the blueline where R...
It’s been a rough past couple weeks, well rough season really for the Leafs and after a stretch of six losses in the past seven games which has been capped off by a 5-1 loss to the youthful Phoenix Coyotes it is becoming more and more evident that the time for change is near. There are rumors of the GM John Ferguson being fired, rumors of Paul Maurice being fired…�...
[b]Answering the bell[/b]...that seems to be exactly what the Preds Thursday night in Ottawa with a 6-5 win over the Senators. Every time that they were challenged by the Senators they answered.
The Preds jumped out to a quick lead with a early powerplay goal in the first minute of the game. Ottawa would answer and tie it but instead of folding or laying back the Preds...
Would it be Brashear or Pronger or Boll or Godard or Parker or Boogaard or Chara or Neil? None of these guys hold that distinction. Instead, there is Tie Domi incarnate leading the league and his name is Daniel Carcillo. Who.......? What team does he play for......? The Phoenix Coyotes. Those of you in the west may have guessed it right because you've seen this 5'11" ...
Okay...just finished watching this on DVR and all I can say is wow! Down 4-1 with less than ten minutes to play and the Preds come back to win in 5-4 in a shootout! Don't have a ton of time right now but some quick thoughts...
[b]Work finally paid off for Jed Ortmeyer[/b]. Not only did he have a ton of chances tonight but he has been playing hard all year for us. I have...
Not too much to say about last night's Flyers-Stars tilt in South Philadelphia, except that rookie Dennis Tolpeko was the only Flyer that seemed willing to give a full effort on every shift.
Riley Cote also will likely be the fifth Flyer suspended this year, after leaving his feet to toss a high elbow with three minutes remaining. To his credit, Cote called the hit "st...
I have to say that I've been a proponent of the shootout since the age of 9. I was playing shootout mode on one of the NHL games for Sega Genesis when I got the idea.
'Why don't they get rid of ties and have a shootout? They're so cool!' I thought. And hey, apparently, the only thing you had to do was shoot the puck just before crossing the blue line every time you cam...
I know it may seem like I'm ragging on the Flyers, but it's kind of hard to ignore it when they are [url=http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=224272&hubname=]getting a suspension handed down every other game[/url]. The newest culprit: Riley Cote for his head-shot on Matt Niskanen of the Dallas Stars two days ago. Now I haven't seen it yet, so I'm not gonna BS my way throug...
If at first you don't succeed, try seven more times.
The Penguins powerplay was pretty lousy all night long, while not really generating that many good scoring opportunities in the process.
But the Pens decided eight was enough when right-handed defenseman Kris Letang scored in the left slot on a cross-ice feed from Sidney Crosby for the game-winning goal with about ...
Hey pens fans,
Tonight, the Pens took on Gretzky's Coyotes at the Mellon Arena and were victorious. Yes, we won 3-1. Talbot had the first goal and was assisted by the former coyote Laraque. The Pens' second goal was a power play goal by Letang. He was assisted by Crosby and Malkin. The Pens thrid goal was by Kennedy and he was assisted by Staal and Roberts. Fleury w...
[b]A special note to our friends at the Preds and Fox Sports South:[/b]
[i]WHY ON EARTH IS TONIGHT'S GAME NOT ON TV?[/i]
[b]Seriously? How often do we play in Toronto?[/b] I realize that the Preds TV package doesn’t allow for every game to be shown but there is zero reason why this game is not being shown on TV. Just glancing at the TV schedule I would gladly trade...
Once again Babcock mixed up the lines, putting the youngsters Filppula and Hudler up with Datsyuk against the Habs, and magic happened.....who does this guy think he is?? Scotty Bowman?? After a short stretch of not-so-stellar performances, and a couple of injuries to key checking-line players, Mike Babcock was basically forced to shuffle the forward lines around to get ...
The last time San Jose and Phoenix met the Sharks delivered the knockout blow with a 6-0 manhandling of the Yotes. For Phoenix it was 3 games in a row against San Jose and was just a disaster. San Jose outscored the Coyotes 15-1 in those three games. The series got chippy and Steve Bernier found himself in the thick of it. It all ended with The Coyotes Nick Boynton getting...
We are not going to rehash last night's game. Most of us saw it. Otherwise, you read about it. Some articles were less harsh, while the Isles broadcast was plenty harsh. But, that all aside . . .
What I'd like to talk about is Nolan's demeanor after this loss, and the steam coming out his ears.
"We just need more and have to have a better effort."
- Ted Nolan
Ted...
The Islanders came out last night like it was October. I saw hits. I saw chaos. I saw hard-work. I saw effort. And from it, things happened. Comrie worked the puck, causing a ruckus. Bill Guerin sat at the doorstep with his stick on the ice, at the ready. Bergie was pinballing and driving the Yotes nuts. Trent Hunter was hitting like he wanted to start quoting Ezekiel 25:1...
Gerber!!! Gerber!!! Gerber!! Well, here we go again! Sens fans, like myself, are jumping back on the Martin Gerber bandwagon. Just last week, he was the ire of most fans. Uh, oh!! Gerber can't stop anything!! Now, he's our guy again. I truly believe that he is, technically, a better goaltender than Rayzor, however, he still loses the puck far too often. Whether he...
I would like to lead with what everyone is talking about and that is Chris Simon. I personally would have no problem not ever seeing this guy step on the ice again. Players should realize playing in the NHL is a privilege and an honour and he does things to jeopardize his career constantly. Give the guy what he wants and deserves and show him the door.
The Sens look ...
This season, the Blues launched "Louie," a saxophone playing, bear-looking monstrosity that relentlessly annoys fans during the game.
Why, God? Why?
First of all, the mascot doesn't make any sense. We are the St. Louis Blues, not the St. Louis Saxophone Playing Blue Bears. Everyone laughed when we tried to launch "Kool Kat" with those notoriously hideous third jersey...
[b]Seriously[/b]...it's days like this that I hate my self imposed obligation to blog about the Preds. The day after a game that we should of won...in the midst of bad streak of games. Ugh. I just don't feel like writing today.
I can view last nights 3-2 loss two different ways and support each view with a decent argument. The first view being that the Preds lost that ...
Last evening the Flyers dropped a 3-2 decision to the Phoenix Coyotes, after leading 2-0 late in the second.
The Flyers had three costly defensive breakdowns that ended up in the back of their net. That is what happened, but it sells the Coyotes short. This is an excellent young team, full of resiliency and they skate like the wind. The most surprising thing was the amo...
If you look at the standings as of Tuesday afternoon, 20 teams are above .500 and 4 teams are right at .500.
How is this mathematically possible? Is this the ‘parity’ that Bettman insisted would exist under the new CBA, or is it just an illusion?
Why are the standings like this?
Because the NHL rewards losing teams that are tied after regulation.
At one tim...
[b]Pathetic. [/b]That's the best way to describe the effort put forth by the Preds in a 5-2 loss against the Blackhawks.
It all started last night with lackadaisical goaltending from Chris Mason who gave up two goals on two shots before being pulled. Dan Ellis could do no better giving Chicago their third goal on only their fourth shot. I knew then it was going to be a...
Now based on that title you would think dogs can easily beat a fish, well hold on now. The fish have had the dogs swimming in circles 8 games in a row now, dating back to last season. The fish have protected their nets well and have not allowed the dogs in the net in 3 straight games. Have you ever seen a dog on ice? They can't quite keep up and move so well, but if you le...
[b]While winning one game stops a losing streak[/b] I don't know how far it will go in turning the Preds season back around. Truth be told I can't get real excited about a home win against the LA Kings. The only thing I knew going into last nights game was one of these poorly playing teams had to win...there was no way around that.
[b]
The Preds came out flying[/b] and ...
[b]Nice win by the Preds last night[/b] with a 3-1 win over the Bluejackets...I didn't get to see it but I liked what I heard. One name that I kept hearing last night was that of #22 Jordin Tootoo. I am loving his game and the way he is taking on the responsibility that the coaches are giving to him. Tootoo is making a case for him to be a top RFA signing for the Preds.
...
WE ARE TOUGH...LET US PLAY THE GAME...LET THE PLAYERS POLICE THE GAME...
then we hear...
Look what they did...give them a suspension...why me? WHYYYYYYYYY...????
In the latest reach for getting someone else suspended, Flyer fans lead by one Tim P accuse Max Afinogenov of 1.) slew footing and 2.) kicking Scott Upshall. If you are an objective hockey fan, you can ...
I had about two and a half hours to kill over the Christmas break, so I thought I'd spend the time doing a little research on something that had been interesting me.
In the past few seasons, we've seen an unusually large number of teams very close in the standings; this year has been no different, with really only two teams (Detroit, Ottawa) distancing themselves from t...
[b]I guess I'm not alone[/b] in my feeling today of not wanting to blog about last nights 5-2 loss at the hands of the Blackhawks. I checked out the HB home page and absent were the updates from Paul and Brandon...I guess they don't feel like blogging about last night either.
[b]Who can blame them really?[/b] There was little good in last nights game. Dan Ellis proved ...
Ray Emery was sent home from Ottawa Senators practice this mroning, just heard this on Hockey Central at Noon. I will update this story as I find out more information on it, updates will appear at the bottom of this page.
Update 12:40pm
So as it turns out Ray Emery wasn't feeling well showed up 5 minutes before they senators were supposed to practice and informed the...
Was it when Bob Pulford sent Ed Belfour out of town for Ulf Dahlen, Michal Sykora and Chris Terreri?
Or when Pulford "unloaded" Jeremy Roenick on Phoenix for Alex Zhamnov, Mike Mills (not the bass player from R.E.M.) and a draft pick who turned into the immortal Ty Jones?
Or was it just one (or all) of the many re-emergences of Pulford from the shadows of the Blackha...
As it's been said before, I am not sure why but the Rangers are trying to acquire Adam Foote. Adam Foote is the old NHL that hasn't made the transition to the new NHL. Unfortunately as rude as that may sound it's entirely true. I would not place any success from the Blue Jackets on Adam Foote as the captain. He hasn't brought hope or even confidence enough in the team as ...
When the Hawks put Samsonov on waivers I thought that his career was over and he would retire gracefully. I then pulled up his stat sheet and realized he is still only twenty-nine. Sergei still has the chance to turn it around and finish with a decent career. Not this year but maybe next. So who should give him this opportunity? The L.A. Kings of course. He is set to...
[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...
As I watched a Detroit/Dallas game the other night, the commentators mentioned that there were a couple of former [b]Winnipeg Jets[/b] playing that night (3, in fact). That got me thinking that it won't be too long until the last on-ice connection to the Jets will disappear. It's not nearly as historic as, say, the last helmetless player, but something I feel is worth noti...
[b]The Preds posted an impressive 5-2 win[/b] over the Edmonton Oliers who continue to find Nashville a tough place to play losing their fourth straight appearance here.
Getting two goals from Alexander Radulov, a goal and an assist from captain Jason Arnott, a short handed goal from Jared Smithson and JP Dumont added a powerplay goal in a game that the Preds seemed t...
In my last review of how relocated teams' history is vanishing, I'm reviewing the remaining [b]Minnesota North Stars[/b].
The North Stars are different than the former WHA franchises I've previously profiled, in that they had the longest history in the NHL before moving. As such, you'll see that there are few remaining players, but a larger Next Generation. Also, they'r...
As a Sens fan this is something that has been on my mind this season, if Mats Sundin were to decide to waive his no-trade clause and seek out a contender to join for a chance to win a cup, would I want to see the Sens go after him???
All trash talking and bad blood between the two teams aside, Mats Sundin is one heck of a hockey player with plenty left in the tank and in...
With the 2007/2008 NHL season reaching the halfway mark it dawned on me that 14/28 players (according to nhlnumbers.com) are UFA's or RFA's. Seeing as this team seems to be having consistency problems it may not be such a bad thing to start fresh with some new players and get rid of some of the older ones. With that being said, here are who I think the Wild should try to k...
Well we have another exciting match up between these 2 division rivals, even with Buffalo being ravaged with injuries, sens can’t look past this game to Saturday night's tilt against the wings. Its going to be Gerber in nets for Ottawa and kind of surprisingly we are going to see Thibeault, or T-Bonz as the buffalo faithful like to call him (and I will now be calling him...
Ok, this is my first post in a very VERY long time, so let me shake off some rust.
The Winter Classic aside, this last game against the Senators has been the first time I've liked what I've seen on the ice in a long time. Yes, the Sabres did lose when they had many chances to take this game and Vanek and Pominville are still struggling to finish easy chances. But Pomm...
Well we all knew Alfie was going to the game in Atlanta at the end of the month,and Congrats to him for being voted in for the first time in his career, but the League released the full list for the East and not overly suprising are the names Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza, so it looks like the Game will Feature the Big Line, or Cash Line, or Pizza Line or as I like to call...
TheMike12 writes...
Sens Vs Wings, Prove me Wrong Ray..Prove me wrong..
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I woke up this morning with the kind of giddy excitement you had as a kid, waking up on your birthday or Christmas morning, you just know that today is something special, of course im talking about what I think is the game of the year so far in the BEST of the East vs the BEST of the West, the clash of the titans between the Sens and Wings. Since the start of the season wh...
Well what can I say, this game lived up to all the hype surrounding it, fast paced and edge of your seat action. The Senators showed they are a team to be reckoned with, coming on the good side of a 3-2 win against the First place overall Detroit Red Wings. Captain Daniel Alfredson also put on a show tonight with 2 goals and so many other amazing plays I couldn't possibly ...
Okay, I've had it with this 1pt for losing in OT/Shoot out. Officially, there are only 6 teams with losing records in the NHL. This is a joke. The NHL point system must go. I understand that they wanted to do away with ties. But this OTL crap is out of hand.
Gary Bettman and the rest of these idiots who think losing in OT/Shoot out is worth a point should be shot...
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 ...
DrFeelgood writes...
"Effort" not in the Sharks vocabulary on Tuesday; lose 5-3
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Against a team that you can't give excuses for losing to, the Sharks put in a very lazy game against the Desert Dogs on Tuesday coming up on the losing end, 5-3.
Trust me, the score makes the game look a lot closer than it was.
I'll admit, I did not get to see the first period as the game started at 6:30pm here in California and I was still at work, but less than a m...
Unless you have been living under a rock lately, you might know that the Leafs are in the process of finding a new general manager to replace John Ferguson.
Today we learned that the bright minds and the very skilled researchers of our friends MLSE, found that the Cliff Fletcher was still under contract with the Phoenix Coyotes. Even though they fired him back in April...
The topic of how to best allot points for wins/losses/etc. in the NHL continues to be discussed.
I fully put my support behind the idea put forth by the Random Thinker himself, renowned HockeyBuzzard [b]jsaquella[/b]. ([i]the fact he's also my good friend and brother-in-law has little, if anything to do with it. In fact, it probably made me [u]less[/u] likely to listen)...
Jsaquella writes...
JSAQ Explains His Rationale For the No Point Loss System
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
I have seen two different blogs now exhorting the idea I posted in two different random thoughts blogs. It has been praised and ridiculed. I'd like to explain exactly what my rationale is, and why I suggested the points levels in the manner which I described.
The System would be:
2 Standings Points for a regulation or OT win
1 Standings Point for a shoot out win
0 ...
It would seem as though our team has remembered how good they can actually play if they put a 60 minute effort together, putting on a show tonight with a 5-1 win over the Injury and Flu bug riddled Carolina Hurricanes. This game may have been just what the Sens needed to get the confidence of some of there secondary scorers up. Antoine Vermette, I have been oh so hard on y...
Well wow...not much to say about last nights horrible performance against the lightning, nothing was working, no matter what line combo Paddock put out, there just seemed to be zero chemistry. Im not sure what happens to this team when playing a bottom end team, they just completely no show...Now I know the injury situation makes it tough (take the top 2 scorers out from a...
Well, again not too much to say about last nights game, I said earlier that if the Sens put the same effort on the ice as they did against Tampa, they would get spanked, and they did, 6-1 to a very good, very hot Philly team. Dont be fooled by the shot count in the game, the Sens outshot the Flyers, but this game wasnt even close, all the shots were perimater shots and no ...
TheMike12 writes...
Who are you, and what have you done with the Senators..
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Ive been watching the last 5 Sens games and noticed some people, skating around, i Ottawa Senators Uniforms, but...wait..something isn't right...this cant be MY Ottawa senators, this isn't the Team I love so much???the REAL senators don't drop a 5-3 loss to the FLORIDA PANTHERS who are these imposter's...and what have they done MY SENATORS!!!
Another game against what I...
[b]I mean no offense[/b] here to the Coyotes or to their fans but I never thought that this pre All Star break game between the Preds and Yotes would be so meaningful to both teams.
[b]Seriously...the Coyotes have been awful[/b]. Last year, for instance, they finished last in the West and the only team with a worse record was the Flyers. Nobody thought that they woudl ...
At the end of last nights game you could almost feel a collective sigh from the team. The All Star Break is here and the Preds can use a break. After playing four game in six nights (including the brutal trip to Denver) the team gets a much needed break. A time to recharge. Time to heal. Time to take a look in the mirror.
[b]Last nights 4-3 OT loss was frustrating[/b] ...
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...
I was an advocate of the shootout competition to begin with, just because I thought it would be more fun than it turned out.
Think about it: what do you do whenever you have rink time with your friends just to goof around with the puck? You "pull a Michigan" behind the net, point like Owen Nolan, or fling the puck lacrosse style.
So that's what I imagined the skills ...
The soap opera know as "The Rays of our Lives" has given us a new episode. As most of you are aware, Ray Emery arrived at the practice facility in Long Island on Monday more than an hour after he and his team mates were required to arrive. Being that this isn't the first offence for the chronologically challenged, practice shirking keeper, he was told to stay off the ice. ...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
The Overtime/Shootout Loss - Time to Lose the Point and Win
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[u][b]The Overtime/Shootout Loss - Time to Lose the Point and Win [/b][/u]
[b]The Good Old Days[/b]
Take a walk with me back to the days of clutching and grabbing, the days of actually being able to clear the crease and the horrid days of ties in hockey. Two teams played 60 minutes, fought hard, left their blood on the ice and end up tied. Overtime.
In this in...
Hello All, I havent posted anything a little over a week, I decided I didnt want to get going about the Sens last week and really, theres not much to say about the All-Star weekend, it is what it is!!! Im also going to stay away from the Ray Emery saga, all I will say is this kid has to get his crap together, act like an adult rather than a spoiled little kid, and frankly ...
[b]For years games between the Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets[/b] have meant very little to either team. In the beginning of this division rivalry the games resembled more of a fairgrounds wrestling night than a hockey game. Both teams lacked talent but made up for it with gritty players who were not afraid to drop the gloves. The Preds took many of the earl...
[b]From another name in the rumor mill to a foundational player[/b] in the Preds future. JP Dumont has played all parts this past week in the press and I, as a Pred fan, could not be happier in the role he is ultimately cast.
There is no denying that JP has been red hot and the Preds had to be fielding calls from interested GM's wondering about the availability of the ...
Wade Redden is a highly respected defenceman throughout the NHL and is being paid $6.5 million dollars a year - the going rate for a top line defenceman. Throughout his career he has been very dependable and has always been known for his quick outlet passes to spring the Senator forwards on odd man rushes.
He is admired for his community service committments and will...
Well there really isn't too much to say about last night abysmal loss to the Leafs, what is happening to the Sens???? now I know the injury situation is hardly something that can be overlooked, you cant pull 3 top tier players off any team and expect them to be as competitive, The loss of Alfie and Heater has been huge to this team so far, and last nights last minute scrat...
Watching the Senators of late has been agonizing - how could a team go from being considered a threat to the Montreal Canadiens of the 70's to a .500 team so quickly?
Their play harkens back to that fateful 05-06 season when they exploded out of the gate with a 27-6-3 record by January 1st. That team featured a high octane offense led by Alfredsson, Heatley, Spezza and...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames Come Back From 3 Down, Get Huge Win Over 'Yotes
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
In one of the best and most entertaining games of the year, the Flames came back from a 3-0 deficit at the start of the third period to beat the Coyotes 4-3 in the shootout. Jarome Iginla finally snapped his 10-game goalless streak in dramatic fashion, first wiring home an amazing shot from the left circle over Ilya Bryzgalov's shoulder with just 9 seconds left to tie the ...
[i]*Please take a moment to pray for the people of the south today following last nights horrific storms that have left at least 26 dead in Tennessee alone. In moments like this sport seems so insignificant.[/i]
[b]Great win by the Preds last night.[/b] I was unable to attend as I came down with a severe case of strep throat (yup 35 years olds can catch it too!). My par...
Trotz has said it. The players have said it. The prognosticators have said. I've said it. Everyone has said it...this is playoff hockey. The Preds are in the midst of a stretch run that could be one of the most exciting in recent history.
I thought it was put rather well by Carolina Hurricane Cory Stillman in an intermission interview during the Versus broadcast on Tues...
I will be writing a 5 part series that is somewhat similar to and inspired by Scott Gallof's "The Blame Game." However, instead of pointing fingers at individuals who are to blame, I will discuss certain key attributes that the team as a whole are lacking and are the reasons, but not the only reasons, for the Ranger's underacheivement.
[u][b]MOTIVATION[/b][/u]
Great ...
I haven't written anything over the past week or so, because in all honesty I didn't have much to say about the state of the Sens, they have been all that good as of late, and I really didn't feel like getting into the same old issues about the team.
But over the past week a couple of encouraging things have happened.
1) They lost against Montreal, now this alone wasn...
Before I go on any further, I just read the article on TSN about Richard Zednik's most unfortunate accident in tonight's game against the Buffalo Sabres. When horrible mishpas like this occur in any sporting event, one cannot find themselves caring about the outcome of any hockey game. Hopefully Zednik will be out of the hospital very soon and have a fast recovery without ...
For the first time in the New Year, the Islander's have [b][u][i]FINALLY[/i][/u][/b] won a home game. And despite all the talk of trading for the future and forgetting this season...I gotta say this win did feel good. And you know the Isles were feeling it too, watching Park celebrate after the final buzzer as if he had just scored his first NHL goal.
It is pretty depre...
[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...
4-1 Phoenix with 10 minutes left.
With 2 minutes left in the 2nd Dallas was down just 2-1. However Mattias Norstrom, being the human pylon that he is, allowed Niko Kapanen to skate right around him to pick up a rebound. Since when is Niko Kapanen a net crasher? Keep him contained and put him on his ass Norstrom. I thought his reputation was as a solid defender and hi...
With the Islanders once again currently sitting in 13th place in the East, I'm sure Garth Snow is contemplating the best approach on what to do with the Islanders at the deadline. The Isles are only five points away from the playoffs, but also only 4 points away from finishing last in the East.
Five points is not the most difficult task, but with five games remaining un...
Alexander Ovechkin wurde auf einer kleinen Serie vor kurzem Kälte in den letzten beiden Spielen zwar in den sonnigen florida gegen die Panthers und den Lightning.
Er hat bis dreizehn Punkten in den letzten zehn Spiele und mit einer negativen eins plus / minus. Alexander dem Großen ist noch mit der Spitze der Liga achtundsiebzig Punkten, nur einen Punkt vor Malkin, mus...
Now, one day after his agent, Don Baizley, said he's very unlikely to return this year, Peter Forsberg may be returning after all.
That is according to Eklund, the host of the site and Anonymous Hockey Blogger. That is not an invite for lunkheads to trash the guy, just referring the name of the report.
Anyhow, I am a Flyers fan, and I kind of was on and off the Fors...
Minnesotan hockey fans have the Boogeyman, Derek Boogaard, but there is another boogeyman that haunts their dreams: Norm Green.
The man that cut Minnesotan's claim to be the most savvy, passionate, Canadian-like hockey fans in America down a peg or two by moving the North Stars/Stars to Dallas (where they ultimately won the Cup that had eluded Minnesotans for so many ye...
5-2 Dallas
Tomorrow I'll take a look at the Stars roster to see who the most likely trade chips are.
Young players take time to develop in professional sports. 19 and 20 year olds rarely step right in take the world by storm. Steve Ott is a former 1st round pick, and this year he is beginning to show why. In the past two games Steve Ott has been throwing his body aro...
I've decided that I'm going to try to export some of the Stars updates to blogger.com. I'm going to keep putting them up here, but also there so more people that don't necessarily have a hockeybuzz season pass can keep up with the Stars. The address right now is undecidedname.blogspot.com. I've already moved the hockeybuzz archive over there as well.
Problems:
1. I do...
Apparently I should have kept my mouth shut; the Isles looking for their seventh win in a row faltered under a young and weak defense, allowing the New Jersey Devils to win their first game against us in almost a year. It honestly was only a matter of time before the Atlantic Division leading Devils recorded a win against our 5-0 season streak. It was also only a matter of...
What you are smelling is the rotten egg that the Preds laid last night against a very good Dallas Stars team.
[b]Where It Went Right:[/b] The first period for the most part was solid and the Preds played step for step with the Stars. It looked like this was going to be a game decided in OT or by a late goal. Both teams were skating hard and playing a physical game.
...
Wow. I am just speechless, and that is not a common occurrence. What a game! It is a shame someone had to lose...but I am glad it was not the Flyers.
If you get a chance...read some thoughts from this morning...[url]http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=4461&user_id=3682[/url]
First, kudos to the Buffalo Sabres. They played a hell of a game and I thought we w...
Salvador to Jersey..
Richards traded to Dallas..
Campbell to San Jose...
The frenzy is just starting to begin...
And Snow is in his office...ready to pull the trigger on a deal...and it is.......
A 7'TH ROUNDER TO SAN JOSE FOR ROB DAVISON!
Whew...almost worried we were out of the hunt for a second. What a relief. Hey I almost feel as good as when we lost out o...
Well, I haven't written anything in quite sometime, as I have frankly been frustrated to the point where I felt like if I actually put anything down it would just be a lengthy expletive laced tirade about what is annoying me about the team. Well I have decided enough is enough and I finally have to ask the question....what happened to the Senators??? How could the team th...
There was a time, not so long ago, when the Minnesota Wild were very protective of their team, when they did all they could behind the scenes to see to it that their brand was untarnished. The last thing anyone in the offices on Washington Street wanted was a player, a design, an advert, or a product that would form a negative opinion of the franchise, especially one that...
[b]A lot has been said about the events of the past few days[/b].
Rightfully so, no doubt. But sometimes, it's lack of foresight and hindsight that alienate some people from others--those who are quick to judge the decisions of a man far more educated in the subject matter.
Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson isn't a first-timer at this, people. He's been in h...
For the third time this season, last night a team played the Flyers in Philadelphia immediately before or after firing their coach. Just two weeks into the season, the [b]Atlanta Thrashers[/b] dismissed [b]Bob Hartley[/b] after falling to the Flyers, 4-0, for an 0-6 start. On November 23rd, the [b]Washington Capitals[/b] edged the Flyers, 4-3 in OT, immediately after [b]Gl...
Greetings Hockey Fans,
Here are some Saturday afternoon thoughts for fans who are not thinking about playoffs right now.
These are teams the Edmonton Oilers (65 pts) may be able to finish ahead of in the standings and therfore Duck fans should be cheering for:
[b]Western Conference[/b]
[b][i]Los Angeles [/i][/b](56 pts) - not much to say here, need a goalie, lo...
Well Ottawa pulled one out last night against a depleted Pittsburg team, and ya know what? it wasnt the prettiest of wins, but ill take it right now! You can immediately see the impact of having Murray back behind the bench as the Sens have a new fire and passion in there game which had been sorely missing, the players finally seem to know there assignments and are out the...
Hockey is a game of emotion, point blank. Sergei Gonchar lost his cool on a play against superstar/superpest Daniel Alfreddson. Now I may take some heat for calling Alfredsson a superpest but let's call it as it is, this guy gets under your skin. I think the play on Sergei Gonchar is proof in the pudding. But I must also be very clear that I think there is a big differ...
Now that we are almost through three seasons of shootouts, I think we'd all agree that the novelty has worn off. The question is: do we want them as part of our game? The Eastern Conference standings are very close, and much of that can be attributed to the 3-point games and shootout wins/losses. We can discuss whether or not overtime losers should get a point at anothe...
Hey Pens Fans,
The return of Sidney Crosby has been much anticipated and it went well. Also, Ryan Whitney was back in the lineup tonight, as well. Talbot had the Pens' first goal which came late in the third to make it 1-0. Dupuis and Crosby had the assists. At the end of the game, Malkin netted an empty-netter from Talbot to make it 2-0. Fleury was in goal stopping ...
The Ducks have had consecutive wins and we haven't changed barely anything! Some Ducks fans were hoping for Hossa or Holik all I was hoping for was a simple draft pick! All Burke landed was Begeron, J.S. Aubin and a draft pick! Now I am someone who always loves for my team to rack up on the picks especially in a deep draft like this one.
Maybe we did not land superstars...
I figured a little bit of Phoenix pregame would be in order. Here are a few interesting numbers I checked up on.
Brygalov last 3 years vs Dallas: 2-3 2.25 .927 sv%
at the AAC: 4GP 1.99 GAA .934sv%
Turco vs Phoenix last 3 years: 9-5 2.62 GAA .884sv%
in Phoenix: 4.15 GAA .852sv%
Since 2001
Home: 10-5-2 G...
Big game tonight for the Sens against the Sharks, I didn't write anything following the game on Monday against Anaheim, because it frankly would have been a complete waste of time to write several paragraphs about the god awful officiating which led to the Ref's essentially handing the game to the Ducks. There were some positives to that game though, I thought Gerber playe...
Since the inception of the shootout after the lockout, the playoff races have never been more competitive and the parity in the league since the lockout has never been higher.
At this point in time in the season, with only about 15 games per team remaining, it's safe to say that there are 22 teams remaining with a legitimate shot at making the playoffs. And if the Edmon...
http://www.eddiesbetter.com/2008/03/ugly-ugly-ugly.html
There were two keys that I pinpointed for this game coming in: Turco had to outplay Bryzgalov and the penalty kill needed to stay off the ice. Dallas didn't give up a powerplay goal, and Turco only gave up 2 goals. The offense was just terrible. The powerplay has been very sloppy lately. Tonight they couldn't ...
vancouver.canucks writes...
Tootoo: "You've got to be a man to play this game"
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[img:right]http://images.tsn.ca/images/stories/20080307/tootoo_340_46857.jpg[/img]Jordin Tootoo just hit the nail right on the head, you do have to be a man to play this game. But I'm puzzled by the fact that he laid out Aaron Miller and doesn't be a "man" and stand up for his actions.
On Sunday, Matt Pettinger laid out Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks and he ge...
Being a fan means never giving up on your team. It also mean kicking 'em in the ass when they deserve it. It definitely does not mean kicking them when they're down.
Many bloggers on this site, including Kevin Lee, have basically thrown in the towel on the Senators after their three losses on the West Coast. I think a little dose of reality is required. In my book, the ...
[b]Obviously at this time of year you want your team to win[/b] but if you are like me I am scoreboard watching like crazy! Right now I am so thankful for my Spring TREO that allows me to continually check the status of games of interest. I wonder if the people at ESPN are seeing my increased use in their bottom line numbers?
"Guys...ummmm...we had ten thousand hits on...
That quote is from the Predators Head Coach Barry Trotz. 94 points has been his prediction for the past two weeks of the number it will take to make the playoffs in the West. That has been the number ingrained into all the Predator players as they make their push. 94 points. 94 points. 94 points.
Let me throw out why I think this type of talk is a problem. Trotz has us...
[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...
Alright we are getting down to crunch time. With seven games left in the season this is how it's looking.
Calgary - 3
Colorado - 2
Edmonton -1
Minnesota - 1
I know I have cursed the schedule earlier this year, for those many back-to-back-to-back games or the 5 days off stretches, but this could be the best way to finish the season. Everything is in our hand...
Often a topic of conversation among hockey fans here in Buffalo, along with local media, and possibly throughout the league as well, I have a few thoughts about Ryan Miller.
First off, I like Ryan Miller. For the most part I think he's done a solid job in net for the Sabres. I will do my best to detach myself as a Sabres fan and look at the realities facing this team in...
I would like to conduct an unscientific poll as to what those of us here at HB love about our game and what we believe, collectively, is the single best reason for being a hockey fan today. Another way to look at this would be to ask yourself, "what is my favorite part of the game?". A number response is all that is required, but feel free to comment as well. [b]Results to...
rwrusso writes...
3 Point Games and the Skills Competition (aka Shootout)
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I love this time of year. Races for playoff spots and final positioning. Tons of meaningful games. Exciting hockey. But I can't help but be completely annoyed by the current point system and OT/shootout format used by the NHL. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't think twice about it last season, as Buffalo dominated the league and won the President's Trophy, all ...
[i]Not so much a blog as just some random comments...this is getting good people![/i]
With the win last night the Preds put themselves in control of their own destiny...win out and they are guaranteed at least the 8th spot.
[b]Let's take a moment [/b]and ponder the fact that no one thought we would be here at this point...NO ONE! Many of the [i]experts[/i] were pick...
No Look Drop Pass writes...
One foot out of the Quicksand; Alfie gets his Bell rung
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I want to start with a rarely-if-ever used phrase -- Double Wow! Uhhhh...is that really how I want to start? Does anyone remember Pierre McGuire (if you don't know him, turn off your computer and never mention the word hockey again) yelling "Double Dion!" during a World Junior championship final when Dion Phaneuf corked two guys at once? The entertainment value of McGuire ...
I'm an emotional guy. I am. I cry at Applebee's commericals (you know the one with the coach where they ask him to hang up his team championship photo), baptisms at church, movies (too many to name but most recently watched Rudy again for a good cry!), heck I even got teared up that first home playoff game (man that place was electric!)...so to put it bluntly I am an emo...
Dan Carcillo is a rare commodity in hockey -- a skilled player who LOVES to get his nose dirty. I have heard on several occasions that Gretzky loves the guy, and after last night's hat-trick against Dallas (the game after he fought two Stars in the same game, dropping one with a single shot) how could you not? I'm sure the 'Yotes hope his goals:fights ratio balances out a ...
After watching the NHL draft lottery tonight, I realized that I had wasted about 20 to 30 minutes of my life and that I will never be able to get those minutes back. It got me thinking that there has to be a way to make this more of an event, something that provides the fans of non playoff teams something to cheer for in the spring. Afterwards the final of the NCAA baske...
Professional athletes make TONS of money.
Compared to the average person, they make more money in one year than we will see in a llifetime.
Like television, movie, and music stars, they often have personas that are larger than life.
We put these people on a pedestal...tell them that they are special...and then tell them that along with being special and making al...
Let me preface this blog entry by saying my true feelings: PURE BITTERNESS. Since the schedule was released I made time for this weekend. I made an opening of a weekend to watch the Wild in their first round playoff match. The six hour drive to St. Paul wasn't too much, especially top stop my desire. However, a monstrous snow storm, unseen to the month of April has hit Min...
Much like the words of the Great Ricky Bobby of Talladega Nights, a lot of the Islander skaters were playing for the right to keep their jobs. The season started with Mike Comrie, Trent Hunter, Wade Dubielewicz, Miroslav Satan, Bryan Berard, Josef Vasicek, and Ruslan Fedotenko facing free agency in the 2008 off-season.
You can now add Rob Davison to that list as well, ...
Hello all.
I am tired of going into other arenas and seeing things like Alex's Crazy 8's and beagle's dog pound. I am starting my own fan support section. I think you the Flyers faithful you can all be behind what I propose
Welcome to Rockin' Riles Rowdies.
I know the Wachovia center is going to rock those Caps coming in to the core. Let's show how Rowdy u...
Well, I definately have to eat some crow today. I guess showing loyalty beyond reason on game day is what is great about sports, but it definately makes the day after losing a crucial game in a series that you really have no chance of winning that much tougher. I agree with Penguins fans around the world -- Pittsburgh is definately a 100% better team than the 2008 Ottawa S...
Well, after yesterday's post and the absolute fiasco it turned into, I'm going to take my chances again with a reaction to an in-progress game. Ottawa-Pittsburgh, game 4. And Ottawa isn't getting much help from the refs. I try not to blame officiating for the outcome of games, but given the number of missed calls, I can understand the displeasure of the Ottawa fans. Ma...
No Look Drop Pass writes...
07-08 mercifully comes to an end...what now?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Sens season came to an end last night after a 3-1 loss to the Penguins. Losing the game/series wasn't unexpected -- at best, Ottawa was picked to lose in 6 games. But the way in which they lost -- swept, at home, while getting virtually no contributions from the big 3 (who, incidentally, may have played their last game together last night) -- put a nice ribbon on one o...
steal_your_faceoff writes...
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS! Knubs wins it in 2nd OT!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.icebullshockey.com/chris/nhltol/logos300/phi.png[/img]
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT! Wow what a game!
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/flyers/images/upload/2008/04/Briere4_041708.jpg[/img][img]http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080418/capt.4211769e52574661846cb8cd17dc6ecc.capitals_flyers_hockey_patm105.jpg[/img]
Knuble from Carter and Upshall! What a gam...
Sitting in my car and heard a Mike Babcock quote saying that going with his plan B (Chris Osgood) is not bad.
"He won 29 games and had the best goals against average in the league," said Babcock.
Wrong...Dan Ellis had the best goals against in the NHL...sorry Mike.
[b][i][i]Updated:[/i][/i][/b] [i]Whoops...this is what I get for writing a blog in the car in the...
I just returned from the Sommet Center viewer night. An unexpected crowd of over 2000 viewed the game and evidently swamped the concession areas prompting a 30 minute "timeout" so they could reload.
I'm sure the new ownership group was impressed and encouraged by this turn out as this seasons road to this point has been full of hills and valleys. I would love for the ...
Nobody had ever seen anything like Sean Avery's stick-in-the-face antics against Brodeur. Most people thought it was unsportsmanlike behavior, not in keeping with the integrity of the sport of hockey. The NHL acted swiftly to clarify the rules, [i]aka[/i] the "[i]Sean Avery Rule[/i]" to make sure this never happens again without an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty of 2 mi...
[b]Games don’t get bigger than this[/b]. Win or go home...it will be written countless times about this game so why not one more here too! The Predators face the Red Wings in game 6 of the eastern conference quarterfinals today at 2pm CST...the Wings lead the best of seven series 3-2.
[b]Getting Caught Up:[/b] Sorry I did not have a chance to post reactions to game 5 ...
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...
I attended all three games and the viewer party in the last couple of weeks and it has been a ball. My wish is that more people in this area get to experience the excitement that was generated not only in the hockey community but to the city in general. The new ownership group looks to be top shelf and I have experienced games in all different sports in arenas around the...
[b]Beating a Dead Horse...Again.[/b]
As expected, Nashville Tennessean columnist David Climer played the [i]'same ol' Predators'[/i] card this morning.
Most local Nashville writers have chosen to take the 'glass half-full' approach regarding the Predators Game Six series-ending loss to Detroit, but of course David wouldn't be David if he didn't demonstrate his fair-w...
ESPN.com currently has a poll on which sport has the best game 7's.
MLB, NBA, or NHL?
Come on, clearly this has to be NHL.
All, please go to [url]www.espn.com[/url] and submit your vote. Let the sports world know what an NHL game 7 means to us. [b]And in the process, let ESPN know that we want them to keep increasing their hockey coverage![/b]
Currently, the ...
I think so. He slew-footed Paul Mara as he was going toward the empty net.
Watch the video and decide for yourself:
[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DN99_E0tLhg[/url]
Let's bust out the NHL rule book:
[url]http://www.nhl.com/rules/rule91.html[/url] for reference:
d.) Any player who is guilty of "slew-footing" shall be assessed a match penalty. This penalt...
Tomorrow night the Detroit Red Wings organization will give everyone a free red t-shirt with the Winged Wheel logo on the front to, "Make the Stars see Red."
On the back the shirts have the official cartoon of "Al" the octopus as though he were in a police line-up. The actual purple octopus hanging from the ceiling of Joe Louis Arena and let down before the games is o...
Enjoy
http://flyerflies.com/blogs/Buts/
Have a great.
Well, this game was more physical than the last, but the Pens still came out with the win. Crosby, Hossa, Talbot and Staal had the Pens' goals. The disallowed goal looked to be over the line after I saw the replay, when I got home, but the word from Toronto was that it was unclear if the entire puck crossed the line. You canot tell for sure, but it had to have been. It...
The Ottawa Senators showed a different side to their team in most of the regular season and all the playoffs and I can tell you that this side wasn't as great as the 2006-07. So then I look to see what was really different as last years team, first I look at the players and see if any of them have big differences in the stat department. I'll give you some of the players th...
MrBigglesworth writes...
Trade Analysis : Flyers get Syvret for Potulny
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]The gunslinger strikes again.[/b] In typical Paul Holmgren style, the Flyers acquired defender Danny Syvret from the Oilers for center Ryan Potulny. Hockey is business and this trade was about each team believing that they traded-up to what they think could potentially pay off most for them in the future.
[b]From a Flyers perspective, it was just a matter of time ...
I sit here, nursing a bottle of Stella Artois, watching the Belmont, and realize...I wish I had a hockey game to watch.
-A lot of coaching vacancies might be waiting on the approval of the sale of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Rumor pipe says Barry Melrose will be hired for a staggering $2mm a year. If a guy who hasn't coached in almost 13 years can demand that kind of coin...
amidst tundra writes...
Stop the Moralizing: Why Fighting is a part of the game
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[i]Fighting in the NHL remains one of the most staunchly debated subjects in the world of the hockey and yet the argument barely divides supporters down the middle. Far from a modern topic, the recent incident with Patrick Roy’s son Jonathon has quickly risen fighting back to its usual grandstanded place. Now I’m not here to endorse stupidity like Roy’s kid or fighti...
[b]Liles and Foote re-sign with Avalanche[/b]
It seems like John-Michael Liles and Adam Foote have signed contract extensions with the Avalanche. Liles was expected to draw a lot of interest on the open market but decided to stay with Colorado. He will earn $4 million per year over the next 4 years. It could have been about $0.5 and $1 million more on the open market.
...
Honestly when the season ended last year I didn't think we would be sitting in such a good place right now. I didn't think we would have signed both Suter and Weber and am a bit surprised that we were able to lock up Dan Ellis as well. Add to those pieces the resigning of Martin Erat, the resigning last year of Jordin Tootoo and the big extension given to David Legwand and...
With the Rangers prospects progressing with the hand of the coaches,they are also gaining much needed mentoring with veteran leadership. That veteran leadership role will need to be filled in Hartford in the crease. The Rangers moved Al Montoya last spring to the Phoenix Coyotes along with Marcel Hossa. In return the club thought they were getting an adequate goaltendi...
ladynic writes...
Riley Cote/Steve Downie Autograph signings (pics included)
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Mid Summer Flyers updates don't happen a whole bunch take advantage.
If you read nothing else past this point, know that I talked to Riley Cote today regarding the Cote Carnival and he assures me (and several others) that the Carnival is still on and will take place. Please check the website for updates. The only thing that changed is the organizer of the event. You...
If indeed my sources are right the Senators will call for a press conference on Tuesday to announce they have signed Jason Williams to a 3 year 5.7 million dollar contracy and also announce they have made a trade that will send Chris Neil and a 5th round pick in 2010 to the Nashville Predators for Ville Koistinen and Rich Peverley! Keep your heads up Sens fans!
-SenSnip...
With the current roster seemingly set in stone and the unlikely return of Mats Sundin who becomes the Leafs next captain?
Many things have to be considered here like who has the heart and who will be the best fit in the dressing room. Me I have to give my vote to Matt Stajan he has been around long enough to know how the team works. He has heart and really takes the re...
Three teams would appear to be possible destinations right now and I'm going to toss around some names:
Ottawa: Vermette and Jeremy Yablonski for Kubina, Yablonki could be a good replacement for Belak in the enforcer category and Vermette could be in for a big enough raise through arbitration to warrant dealing away for a Top- pair defenseman like Kubina.
Tampa :Ou...
Points to note: McCabe has not been benched or told to stay home, reporters keep suggesting that it may happen, but Fletcher has so far dealt in good faith. Howard Berger seems to keep bringing it up on Hockey Buzz, but Fletcher so far seems to me to have been avoiding the public bashing that some few fans and media have been employing.
Second point: As a media generate...
markoftrad writes...
The backend of the Offseason and your Sens trade rumors
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Its the back end off the Off Season all the important guys are signed. Yes Sundin is out there but for the sake of argument he isn't an important signing unless he signs somewhere other than Montreal or Toronto. Niether team needs him or should sign him. Montreal has way to much young talent ready for the big show to "use up" a roster spot for and aging albeit talented Sun...
Note: I never will claim authenticity of these rumors...because they're rumors.
Well its no secret Vermette is a great Trade chip for the Sens and there as been trade rumors involving him for months, but now they are just getting odd/ridicualous.
First there was that 3-way trade that made no sense for L.A. and little sense for Ottawa. Now the rumor making the rounds ...
Hi Folks the carnival is on as I reported previously. Tickets are now on sale. Here is the link to purchase the tickets.
http://www.cotecarnival.eventbrite.com/
Hope to see you there.
Ok so there is not much pro hockey going on right now. This does not mean that there are not still opportunities to see and support our favorite players.
Yesterday I went to King of Prussia Mall to see Riley Cote at the grand opening on Skin Industries store. For those of you out of town Flyers fans. King of Prussia mall is one of the largest malls in the United Sta...
They aren't all bad, but I've noticed a disturbing trend in recent months - that being bloggers who work harder to stir up controversy rather than cover the "home" team objectively. It seems to me that bloggers with their own site to promote are playing a game inside the game to generate reaction. Howard Berger for the Leafs is one example.
Most recently, "Howie" post...
Well, the Yotes certainly do know how to throw a party! 2500+ fans showed up to jobing.com arena on Saturday to welcome Olli Jokinen to the desert & see fan favorites Shane Doan & Peter Mueller. The Yotes were also selling season & half-season tickets at the event. Thank goodness I already got my season tickets!
[IMG]http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g288/scentsofsmell/DS...
Well here is a long waited but ultimately slim update on Sens Defensemen Andrei Meszaros. Based on conversations with another Sens D-man and the little tibits I've read around the web, Things at the moment are bleak, Mesz and his agent aren't willing to budge on thier demands for the most part, and Murray isn't buying into thier demands, so unless things start to change Me...
Holy smokes batman! The Isles have fired and hired yet another coach!
Yes, for the umpteenth time the Isles have brought in a new vict-...er I mean coach to lead our guys in the blue and orange. However despite my sarcasm, I do believe this is a coach that can lead this team through changes, necessary changes to help reestablish a winning team on Long Island.
Scott ...
I hope all you Flyers fans out there will be supporting this cause.
Many of you know my Aunt Died earlier this year from complication due to her MS. This is a cause dear to my heart. Come out and Support Riley Cote as he champions this cause.
http://www.cotecarnival.eventbrite.com/
I will post a report with pictures but I would highly recommend supporting ...
Not much hockey to talk about these days???
I'll do my best to keep focused on hockey but my blogs are starting to be very un-hockey related.
Funny how none of the Leafs wanted to move at the trade deadline and now Tucker is gone, McCabe is on his way out and God only knows what's up with Meatball Sundin.
Jose Theodore a Washington Capital, that just doesn't sound...
Video
Brenda fighting Riley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbQqG-ulzD8
Pics
My Full Set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157606797506365/detail/
Erica's Full set
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickilynn7/sets/72157606793694253/detail/
ok now down to business.
Shout out Sojer, Amanda, Arlene, Brenda, Ryan, Mr Hockey, SuperFan, Joyce, Steve, Rosean...
First off sorry for the delay in my blog, I just got rapped up in a big move. Anyways onto the Sens Army.......
The Andrei Mezsaros sitiuation looks like it may have a resolution....unfortunately nobody knows what it is.
From what I gathered from a few people ..Bryan Murray is putting together one last contract offer for Meszaros, sort of a take it or leave deal, rum...
With the negativity that surrounds the Coyotes on this site (with the exception of Panger, of course). I realize that we've sucked in the past... but believe it or not, there are Coyotes fans out there. Hardcore Coyotes fans who stick by them through thick and thin. We are sometimes considered to be different from other hockey fans and have had to become quite defensive w...
I had the opportunity to attend a day of the Coyotes "Unofficial" Training Camp in Scottsdale this past Monday. Several of the guys were in attendance and looking SPECTACULAR! I was exstatic to get my first look at our Draft & Trade aquisitions in action out on the ice. Jokinen, (or Olli Coyote as he's affectionately been named); had that huge joker grin planted on his fac...
A lot of people have already written off Martin Gerber for next year. ESPN even has him ranked somewhere in the late 300's for players to pick in a fantasy pool. He's even behind Alex Auld, which just goes to show how much ESPN knows, I guess. But even hockey fans are saying Gerber is Ottawa's weakest point and is the reason why they will miss the playoffs or get bounced i...
Wix'sLovinTheWild writes...
Unofficial Minnesota Wild Forwad Break - Down
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
The Minnesota Wild, well they've got depth but one thing that's going through my head is "do we have enough to repeat as division champs?" I mean the Wild didn't change anything to make this team better or worse but some of their division foes have and that's what might hurt us. So do we have a chance? Definitely. Are we going to win the Cup with the forwards we currently ...
saneopinion writes...
How players can define themselves by their actions
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
We've all seen in movies where a psychiatrist will say a word and the patient will respond with the first thing that comes to their head. So here's my version of a scene where a psychiatrist is diagnosing a hockey fan:
P: So What do you think of when I say...YASHIN!?
HF: SELFISH!!
P: But wasn't he a four time all star? Didn't he have a .87 PPG last year?
HF: Yeah but...
Sorry for the delay, I waited to see if the Hockeybuzz's Ottawa writer was going to post but he did not, atleast yet so here's a breakdown of the Sens Prospect camp last week.
Goalies--- To no surprise for other Sens fans our Goalie prospects didn't stand out in a good way. Elliot looked like a CHL goalie, new to the minors. Mitch O'keefe showed why he's a free agent. N...
The Coyotes Caravan is in full swing and already made two stops so far. First at Polar Ice in Gilbert where we got our first glimpse this season of Zbynek Michalek and his Cabbage Patch'esque hair do and Steven Reinprecht sporting his new baby glow, welcome to the world little Henning Reinprecht!
Next came an "unofficial" stop at Desert Schools Credit Union to see...
EDIT:Sorry about the wierd symbols and punctuation in this blog, I dont know why its doing this and I'm unsure how to fix it
It has to be a very slow news day for the NHL today. The top story this morning is Jesse Winchester practicing on the top-line with Heatley and Spezza.
I’m sure I’m not alone in Sens Nation wondering why this is big news, every year we go ...
On October 8, 2007, I wrote that the Phoenix Coyotes would win the Pacific Division. The blog is linked below. I really didn't believe it at the time - I wrote it more as a knock against the perennial favorite Sharks, Stars and Ducks. All three of those teams were mired in an early season of mediocrity and it was frustrating to watch these three lose to the Blackhawks, ...
The Iceman Cometh...
No, not this one...[img]http://www.scoobydooweloveyou.com/frozenfright.jpg[/img]
or this one...[img]http://www.virginmedia.com/images/captain-caveman-gal-431.jpg[/img]
or even this one...[img]http://nymag.com/images/2/daily/entertainment/07/05/23_caveman2.jpg[/img]
The surest sign that the ice man is coming, and so to the glorious return ...
The2ManAdvantage and Shawn Arseneault are on the scene, reporting back on day one:
[b]The2ManAdvantage's eyewitness report[/b]
[i]Training camp is a bit different this year. Instead of scrimmages, Scott Gordon is running practices. The drills are focused on speed, driving to the net, quick passing, and transitions. Gordon is fiery. Its great to watch and his energy ...
Alright, so, everybody does these things at some point, I suppose I'm going to throw them up here too. I don't really know why, considering they'll just get ragged by everyone who thinks their teams should do better and whatever teams I seem to like totally suck.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Southeast Division
1. Washington
2. Carolina
3. Florida
4. Tampa Bay
5. Atlanta
...
Naslund-NYR
Morrison-Ana
Linden-Retierd
Krajicek-Tam
Pettinger-Mtb
Cowan-Peoria
Ritchie-out
Izzy-Ott
Shannon-Ott
Weaver-out
Miller-out
Demitra
Bernier
O'Brien
Johnson
Wellwood
Hordichuk
11 player's from last year's roster either playing elsewhere or out of the league. 6 players added from either trades or free agency, and a handful of youngsters e...
So far I have touched on the defense (I think we are good), goaltending (bold prediction...I think we are great) and now comes the offense.
I have saved the most difficult for last. Let me say up front that offensively I think we are going to have problems. I am not blaming all this on Radulov's journey back to play for the Russian mafia but we will miss his 26 goals fo...
No Look Drop Pass writes...
Sens 08/09 season shaping up to be interesting
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hockey is upon us once again!
As much as I like baseball playoffs, nothing beats Game 1 (in North America) of the NHL season in my eyes. And I really couldn't believe my eyes when the Leafs survived three posts in the first 10 minutes of the game to win 3-2 against the Wings. Absolutely brutal game to watch, but a trap system played very effectively by the Blue and Whi...
Welcome to the first live blog of the season by yours truly, but certainly not the last. Tonight's edition is brought to you by green grapes and a game unfortunately not in HD due to Time Warner Rochester's general incompetence.
The game starts off with one of my favorite lines Vanek - Roy - Stafford that showed some serious potential when all the participants are healt...
From The Back Row writes...
Disgusting Proteau Blog, US and Canada Deserve Apology
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Let me make sure I've got this straight:
Adam Proteau accuses Ed Snider and the NHL of exploiting a high-profile event for political platforms and partisan politics...
And then exploits his position as an NHL columnist to excoriate Sarah Palin and the Republican party?
Let me state this again, because I need to see this in front of me, in print, twice, just to mak...
10/13/08
It was Kids Day on Long Island, and fans came out as the Isles tripped, clutched, held sticks, grabbed, fought, slashed, roughed, hooked, cross checked and probably did about 80% of it all over again.
Buffalo worked hard with their 7-1 drubbing of the Islanders, but perhaps not as hard as the refs. The refs called a total (at this time..it might still not...
[b]Arnott Update: [/b]The Predators are reporting that Jason Arnott has fractured one of the fingers on his right hand. He is expected to miss at least the next three games.
Preds did not release which finger it was...odd...does it matter?
Not good news for the Preds but it could have been worse. Let's hope that the timeline of three games is true.
[b]With a sol...
Hello All,
I haven't written a new blog in god knows how long, I would bet it was sometime before the playoffs last year when I went into a deep depression over the Sens second half collapse and sweep at at the hands of the Pens, BUT as always I came out of it and am back to continue putting my thoughts about our Sens down on this blog and I feel especially now we shoul...
Well folks, if the Ottawa Senators goaltending situations of years past have taught us anything, it is that it is never too early for a good crisis.
And why should this year be any different?
After only three games in the 08-09 season, most fans/bloggers/sportswriters have already started their annual [i]OMG, we need a goalie[/i] fiasco.
Relax people…it is [b]WA...
It is entertaining listening to fans as the hockey season starts out. The fans are screaming for Kipper before tonight's game. Before we all jump over, let’s remember that a team loses together and a team wins together.
Now thinking statistically, it's only three games, people, get a grip. Secondly, even if we were in trouble, it is not all Kipper's fault. Last time...
The Preds (2-1) ride a modest two game win streak into Dallas (0-1-1) to face a hungry Stars team. Sound familar? Sound like an opening line to the blog about the game at Chicago on Monday? The only difference is that Dallas has already had their home opener...but this team is no less hungry.
With an OT loss to open the season at home and then a road loss in Nashville ...
Genius is over rated just ask us idiots,
Hey geniuses thbbbbbbbbbbbbbtttttttttttttttt
I have often wondered why I blog, it is not like anyone reads my blogs. Yet I seem to get very upset when no one reads them. My wife asks me why do I blog what is in it for me? I seem to love the sport, I am so feeling in adequate mostly because I pretty much suck at writing heck I...
Hats off to the Buffalo Sabres for starting the season 4-0-0-1. Many people were predicting the Sabres to finish anywhere from 7th to 12th in the standings this year and this team is trying to prove all of them wrong.
In the first complete week of the season (Monday-Sunday) the Sabres finished 3-0-0-1 and had some individual dominant performances. I took the liberty of...
Well we are nearing the end of the first month of action and lots of stories are emerging. Starting with my Sens---
As reported on TSN today, Gerbers days are numbered under Hartsburg. Auld will get the start friday against the struggling Ducks and if he turns in a performance similiar to his first against Pittsburg, then we as Sens will have beyond a Goalie contreversy...
Buffalo Sabres looked dead for most of the game but they found a way to win.
Checking: Most say the checking by the Sabres has been very good this season so far
Vanek: 8 Goals now.... Lets keep counting them. This would make I believe every game he scores in Regulation that this team wins.. correct me if im wrong
Roy: Great sacrifice in front of the net during OT ...
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...
If someone was to ask me about the performance from the Calgary Flames, I would have to say it was the most impressive victory of the season. Why? because every aspect of the Flames games was at its best. What do I mean? Well, let me explain.
[b]Power Play[/b]
The Flames scored two powerplay goals, it was nice to see Bert score in the first period and Dion score a...
Hello, I am New York Rangers defenseman Wade Redden. For those of you who don't know, I was a 2nd overall draft pick by the Islanders in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft. Since then I have played 11 NHL seasons with the Ottawa Senators. My career started well as a promising young offensive-defenseman. I scored 30-50 points in most seasons and my +/- usually hovered around +20. But...
I'm going to play off of the infamous "Ek Factors" for this one, and give you the "Mill Factors" for this game. BTW, before I get started, Ek and his family remains in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Get well soon Ek!
[b]Senateurs d'Ottawa[/b] (2-5-1, 14th in conference)
at [b]Buffalo Sabres[/b] (6-0-2, 2nd in conference)
Monday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m....
[i]This is an actual conversation that happened over instant message between two Pred fans who work together. [/i]
[b](11:04:36 AM) Joe[/b]: I hated that the game was not on last night
[b](11:04:52 AM) Joe[/b]: but it might have been for the best...sounded very frustrating
[b](11:05:51 AM) Jason[/b]: yea I don't know. I listen for a bit during the 1st period and then ...
I've been so busy since the season started that I've not had time to write lately. But now its time for my completely maniacal thoughts on the game we all know and love: HOCKEY!!! Specifically Coyotes hockey. Let me start with the two pieces of news we got recently.
* *Lisin to the AHL*: I like Enver. I enjoy watching him play. We had plans for a "City of Enver" poster ...
Well... not really. We needed a win last night more than anything after the loss against Calgary Saturday night. And my boys pulled it off. The highlight of the night was definitely our 5 on 3 penalty kill in the 3rd. But I digress... let's start at the beginning.
After a score-less 1st period, Olli Jokinen got the party started with a goal off of a back-hand feed from ...
I'm a relative neophyte to hockey but I'm also enthusiastic, particularly about my home team - the Phoenix Coyotes. Sadly, my Coyotes don't appear to have much representation in this corner of the blogosphere... which is why I've decided to take some initiative and write. Who knows if I'll make a habit of it - I suppose I'll leave it up to the readers to decide.
Anyway,...
The Coyotes didn't play their best against the Wild, but they didn't play their worst either. They still need to play a full 60 minutes. They came out strong in the 1st and 2nd periods but lost it somehow in the 3rd. My hockey friends and I were late getting to the game, and missed the Joker's first goal. According to the Hockey Friends who did make it in time for the puck...
doktordave writes...
Sundin 2.0 - King Clancy's Ghost may yet prove Clairvoyant.
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Some times, King Clancy's ghost just astounds me. He told me back in June that Sundin would return to Toronto in November - and that is becoming a very real possibility.
The current rumor from Ek has Sundin looking at Montreal and Toronto.
Montreal just doesn't have the cap room, and have already said that they've moved on.
There's the question of saving face, not u...
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 ...
Inspired by the 2006-2007 all-star campaign for Rory Fitzpatrick, I've decidied to start a campaign for Buffalo tough guy Patrick Kaleta (you can tell I'm a Sabres fan). I am hoping to put a website up if this recieves a positive response. We will do the best we can to get him to the ASG in Montréal! So, who's with me?
[img]http://www.sabresfans.com/images/Roster/aleskotalik.jpg[/img]
Last year Ales Kotalik scored 43 pts in 79 games. This put him in 63rd place in the league among wingers. His salary for the season was 2.5 million which was tied for 56th for wingers tied with 8 others. Does this mean he was overpaid for his production and is he worth this much or more in a contract ex...
After competing for a period of time that is about 3.5 hours from preskate through the end of regulation and OT, NHL players are forced to participate in something that is as far from hockey to decide which teams wins. Hockey is the ultimate team sport requiring 6 players on the ice to perform as one to win a game or score a goal. However, the shootout is nothing more th...
Actually I'm just kidding,
This ship is still at the bottom of the ocean. Yes i realize its very early in the season and things CAN turn around, but this club only shows flash's of potential and then reverts to the nightmare of last season.
And I've tryed very hard to stay positive about my beloved Sens but you can only hang on for so long before it's finally time to...
With “100” emblazoned across every conceivable item of memorabilia lest the ice at the Bell Center there is undeniable pomp and pride being wagered at the Canadiens centennial and why not. With North American sports so often criticized for their lack of heritage a storied and historic franchise like the Montreal Canadiens with their wealth of traditions can do nothing ...
Monday night's game was anything but pretty for the Preds. The inconsistent scoring is starting to hurt this team. One game you get 6 goals, the next you get none, then you get 3 and the next you get 1 (no particular order but games vs CGY, VAN, ANA and SJ).
To make matters worse, Captain Jason Arnott left the game after colliding with Sharks forward Joe Pavelski and eve...
When Bryan Murray hired Craig Hartsburg this summer as the Senators' new head coach, he was pretty confident Hartsburg would turn the Senators around after a horrendous finish last season.
17 games into the 2008-09 season, the Senators are sitting at the bottom on the Eastern Conference, a mere point in front of the lowly Florida Panthers and they are tied with the NY I...
I could never understand how teams made bold trades or adjustments when they were on top of the league. When Claude Julien got dumped by Jersey a few days before the playoffs I laughed. When the Rangers moved Mike Gartner to the Leafs at the deadline in 94 I cried ( well a little) . But the truth is sometimes these head scratchers become huge chess moves in capturing t...
nreeb21 writes...
Toronto and Ottawa could help each other, but it's too Taboo
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
While the expectations on the Maple Leafs are significantly lower than that of their provincial rivals they both have glaring problems. The Leafs need a solid top 4 scorer while the Sens need some back end help...goal tending to be precise.
The Sens are a little worse for ware as they were slated to be a contender for the eastern conference title, not the basement. No...
As I have heard and observed Burke over the past few years it's clear that he is going to make a few changes with the roster and the admin at MLSE, I hope the Silver Fox and Joe are allowed to stay on as an Executive Commitee of Consultants but I think this guy will waste no time to gut this team and put his stamp on it.
The fact the Leafs have a lot of mediocre Russia...
Rob McGowan writes...
Nielsen's Injury Brings Attention to Void In Isles Line-up
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
This is not going to be a typical blog by a fan that will rant about the Isles receiving a lack of justice in regards to the suspension laid upon Mike Mottau of the New Jersey Devils. As far as that subject goes I will say that it does seem a bit odd that Thomas Pock got five games for his hit the head of Ryan Shannon of the Ottawa Senators while Mottau only got two. Shann...
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...
After clearing waivers, Luke Richardson has decided that it's time to hang up his skates, and is expected to make the transition to a coaching position with the Ottawa Senators. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but Richardson is likely to accept an assistant coach position in Binghampton. Richardson has had conversations with Sens GM Bryan Murray about such a move, and it i...
others never seem to change. Heading into the Flyers-Lightning game tonight you can start to see trends in the NHL with certain teams. The Flyers trend, dating back through 1st season in the "New NHL", it has been the streaks. They play hard and well defensively for 5-8 games and poorly for the same amount. Last season a hot streak brought the team to first in the NHL,...
The Carolina Hurricanes have just announced that they have fired head coach Peter Laviolette, who led the team to the 2006 Stanley Cup championship. They have replaced him with former Hurricanes and Maple Leafs head coach Paul Maurice.
Sources say Maurice will remain on as head coach at least until the end of the season, at which point the position will be re-evaluated ...
Well the Sens are 3-0 in thier new black jersey's, anyone else think they should keep wearing them?
Finally we have a confident reliable goalie in net. Alex Auld has been a great addition, and has made Gerber a 3.5 million dollar paper wieght.
While I don't think the team is a contender yet, it is finally nice to see the team winning.
Although still way too many ...
Some of the following would obviously require legal work, approval of the NHLPA and other unions and will not be popular with all. So please don't respond with, "The NHLPA would never agree to that"...I know, this is just my own thoughts and what not.
[b]First[/b] of all, adios to the shootout. It's a gimmick and a joke that the NHL uses it to settle games that can make...
I'm going to try to make this quick since I really should be studying for an exam.
Last night was god awful for the Preds. The team had no life on the ice and seemed drained from the previous night. The powerplay was dismal, esp. in the 3rd period. Yes they scored a PP goal...on a 5 on 3. Game was bad, Canucks were better. OK. Great.
Now on to the hits.
The Daviso...
Coming out of a 24-goal and 53-point season, Antoine Vermette had improved his scoring numbers in each of his four NHL seasons. With the departure of Cory Stillman via free agency, Vermette was supposed to get plenty of power play time this season, even on the Senators' top unit.
However, after 26 games this season, Vermette, 26, only has 2 goals and 5 points, to go wit...
(Note: For consistency's sake, I will try to put out a blog every week on either Friday or Sunday. Additionally, I would like to use an idea of hockeybuzz.com's Itlan, who links his blogs to a forum in which the comments section is much better. Therefore, my blogs can now be found in the Rangers forum as well as my.hockeybuzz.com. A link will be posted in both locations.)
...
Calgary enters Minnesota after a very strong showing in St.Louis on Tuesday night. A very nice confidence booster for Mathew Lombardi with 3 points on the night and Mike Cammalleri knocking in a goal and an assist. Jarome Iginla with his career stats vs the Blues only got better knocking in 2 goals and assisting on 2 , for a 4 point night. Strong showing from Corey Sarich ...
The NHL should be embarrassed by their officiating crews of the past two seasons. There is no reason for there to be 12 hooking penalties in a game. Hockey is supposed to be played 5-on-5, and fans don't want 30 minutes worth of power plays every night. I realize this is their half-assed strategy to add more scoring to the game, but it was fine before. There is nothing wro...
Holy Niitty! That is how you describe today's game. Antero Niittymaki made 47 saves, including 25 in the first period, and the Flyers trampled over the Capitals 7-1 today. Obviously, Niitty was the big key in this game, but Scott Hartnell also joined the party. He scored a hat trick in this game, which was his 4th hat trick in the calendar year. After the second goal, the ...
My previous blog I harped on Cherry, and after watching hockey night in canada tonight/saturday I find myself in the same spot.
After the Toronto/Pittsburgh game, Cherry ranted and cryed about Deavoux not fighting Godard when it was 4-1, cryed about Hagman mouthing off Crosby after Crosby checked him from behind and keep stick checking Hagman, then he finished it off by...
[IMG]http://www.icebullshockey.com/chris/nhltol/logos300/ott.png[/IMG]
The Ottawa Senators will continue the 8 game road swing featuring the likes of the Boston Bruins and the New Jersey Devils, but they will first have to kick off the road swing with back to back games against the Calgary Flames tonight, and the Vancouver Canucks tomorrow. Not an easy challenge for any t...
Sens have been playing fairly well so far, which is a nice change. The same reaccuring theme has been rearing its ugly head already, Spezza looks lazy and the defense isn't playing well despite the low shots total.
Alot of penalties in the first period. Both teams are playing very aggresive, Gonna get ugly.
And as usual Ottawa's play has caught up with them, 3-2 Calg...
This coming June is going to go a long way in telling us true Leaf fans what we are going to get under this new regime. The way that the Leafs are playing they have no shot at first or second in the June draft. Keep in mind that these scenarios take place if the standings were the same today as they would be at the end of the season. Also let me say that in no way do I ...
Spezza to Calgary?
Every year there seems to be someone putting out a rumor that leaves me laughing out loud. Since the lockout every expert panel from TSN to The Hockey News says Iginla needs a number one centre. Now I'm not here to debate if he needs the centre I'm here to debate the rumors. I was at last nights Ottawa vs. Calgary game and could say that...
Just got back from Czech/USA
First off by far the best game of the World Jrs. so far.
The Czech's came out hard in the first and the US was not ready........at all. The Czech's set the tone for the game and maintained it, unfortunately the tone wasn't enought to keep the oddly lazy and unorganized American squad at bay.
Despite the Czech's playing hard and hitting...
Is a turtle a predator? Because I know a certain Predator that is also a turtle!
His name is Jordan Tootoo. You have undoubtedly seen him before. His specialty is charging, although he rarely gets called for it. Sometimes he misses his man and goes flying wildly into the opposing teams bench (hysterical). Sometimes he hits his mark and inures a player - like Brian ...
Howdy from Ottawa...tranist strike still going, looks like a union meeting Monday then a vote has to happen on the City's final offer no later than Thursday next week. It will be rejected, but some buses will be forced back on the roads. Rona Ambrose and her office will then try waste as much time as they can until the house of commons resumes, and the feds can make OC Tra...
A snapshot of the Ottawa record since the lockout is revealing.
2005-06: 52-21-9, 113 pts, 314 gf 211 ga, 1st place East
2006-07: 48-25-9, 105 pts, 288 gf 221 ga, 4th place East
2007-08: 43-31-8, 94 pts, 261 gf 247 ga, 7th place East
2008-09: 13-17-5, 31 pts, 83 gf 100 ga, 12th place East (after 35GP)
which can be projected as 30-40-12, 72 pts, 194 gf, 234 ga...
Well the title of the blog covers 2 topics but only one i'll fully cover in this blog.
Quickly Sens are in Fifth....in the NorthEast, Sens join me in praying for a last place finish, and luck in the draw so we can get Hedman or Tavares. Thats all for Sens, ill start covering the Sens better after the world juniors and join me at www.nhl-northeast.com
------------------...
Howdy from Ottawa...2-0 Buffalo to start, 1st period. Ottawa really looks like a team that's been on the road for 6 straight games...but regardless of the score tonight everyone in sport will be talking about this...Jarkko Ruutu bit Andrew Peters on the hand during a scrum in front of the benches. Ottawa got the PP due to Peters flipping out (who wouldn't?). The first thin...
Howdy from Ottawa. Andrew Peters gives this 8-game road trip the Sens are on one biten thumb down.
4-2 loss, Matt Ellis (who?) scores 15 secs in, 0 for 5 on the PP, outshot Buffalo 11-4 in the 3rd period (held BUF without a shot for 13 mins until Vanek hit the empty net) and yet all anyone will talk about for the rest of the week is that Ruutu bites Peters.
If you miss...
Howdy from Ottawa...transit drivers vote today...obviously they are voting no...what a farce.
Ok so I hear that Christoph Schubert is being peddled by Bryan Murray...wow what a big news story, too bad it's 2 months plus old. Back in November Murray tried to trade Schubert but nobody wanted him. They still don't.
I also hear now there is talk Murray wants to move Verm...
As a Leafs fan you would expect me to have some pretty good insight into losing teams and what issues they face. The Senators, for whatever reason, can now be described as a losing team. They are in the bottom third of the league in goals for and against despite having decent power play and penalty killing numbers but they just look lost out there. What is wrong with this...
Howdy from the Nation's Capital. A brutal start followed by a period and a half of strong play, followed by a poor 3rd (didn't have a shot for 14 mins) equals to a 1-6-1 road trip for the Sens...I hope they took the first flight out of Bean town.
The 6-4 score line looks bad on both teams as it was a giveaway-fest all night for both teams...although Ottawa clearly 'won...
[img]http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/ad4a3bdb34.jpg[/img]
Its that time of year again for the Rangers. It has come every year since the lockout, no matter how well or how poorly the season began. Because the Rangers are once again slipping out of the playoff picture ever so slowly, and if they do not right the ship soon, it will be too late. It is gut check time...
Howdy from Ottawa where the Union of bus drivers rejected the city's 'final' offer...ho hum. Hate to be so coy about this but if we've survived this long, then why not double our pleasure and turn the 31 days so far into 62!
Ok time for the mid-season report cards...oh joy.
Dany Heatley - leads the team in points, PP goals and has a few game winners. Is a minus 6 and...
Howdy from Ottawa,
What seemed like a solid start for our Sens with good pressure really wasnt...outshot 14-9 and played most of the first in our zone. Ottawa had a much better second, first time in a long time we see the speed and forecheck back again. Shots were 14-4 in favour for our boys. Dare I say the best period in the last 10 games? They started the 3rd just the...
Howdy from Ottawa where the days are piling up on the transit strike, but the days count down till winterlude! Oh and if any MALE has been to 'Nordic Spa'...how is it? Like for a MALE? I might be dragged into going this weekend.
Ok so how many times have you either heard, read a quote or read an article/blog stating the following...'we need a puck moving defensemen" by...
Howdy from a very cold nation's capital.
Obviously a much needed night in Sens country. Heater, 'Fish, Dean, Phillips and Vermette all scored. Ruutu returned from suspension, Elliot was as Hartsburg put it 'Rock Solid". A total team game where only Jason Smith and Nick Folingo weren't plus-something.
I was dead wrong on the Sens making a move prior to yesterday's ga...
Howdy from Ottawa. Well I was right, a 2-game win streak. Sens fans no matter how bad it gets this year, it can't get as bad as ATL.
Outshot 31-30 and outplayed in the 2nd, yet for a team with the road wounds that Ottawa has any points on the road will do. A solid 3rd period locked down the win, two nights in a row where the team played a complete game defensively.
...
With the Trading Deadline around the corner I think the following trades would be great for both teams.
Tlusty, Andropov for Jordan Stall and 2nd round draft pick.
(Both Tlusty and Andropov are very affordable)
Tlusty played with Malikin in Russia and both enjoyed great success.
Pittsburgh needs a little shake up with a glut of Centremen and Jordan rotting in th...
Howdy from Ottawa. Our team showed alot of heart tonight, but gained but one point in the race for 8th seed in the East.
Early in the 3rd it seemed MTL would cruise to victory but then the Big 3 (namely Spezza and Heatley) caught fire and a timely goal by a late line combo by Hartsburg of Neil-Fisher-McAmmond sent the game to OT. In the extra frame Ottawa killed off a P...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
Flames/Yotes: A Big Letdown. Is Kipper Playing Too Much?
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
After their best effort of the season Thursday in San Jose, disappointing can only describe tonight's 4-3 home loss to the Phoenix Coyotes. In a nutshell, the Flames looked completely flat for most of the first 40 minutes, did not get the goaltending they need, and got little luck all night.
The Flames looked flat from after David Hale's opening goal for Phoenix to Mik...
Howdy from Ottawa. Here is a quick look at what's going on in Binghamton, NY or as the locals call it 'The Parlor City'.
Currently the Binghamton Senators sit 4th in the East Division with a 22-13-3-3 record. If we were in the other divison in the Eastern Conference, the Atlantic, we'd be one point out of first place and not 12 points as we are now (Hershey is the best ...
Howdy from Ottawa, where the sun is out on a Senators game day. OV8, Semin, Backstrom and Green are in town to face our boys in the battle of the capital cities. Is going to be a tough one, Sens will do good to gain a point in this one. Also of note is Jason Spezza left practice early yesterday with a sore back. He maybe out as C Peter Regin has been called up from 'Bingo ...
[b]What do we all think about these Sabres?[/b]
The game as a general manager is complicated for sure. We can all bag on Darcy all we want, but hopefully we can be entertained by the next couple of months. We have a situation though, and hopefully it can be resolved by March 4th.
Max and Kotalik both need to be gone. We have to get something in...
Maybe I am just getting old, or maybe there's a burr in my saddle, or maybe, I'm just an angry guy.
-Gary Bettman talking about how every team has been helped by the CBA that ended the lockout. Has Gary heard of a team called the Phoenix Coyotes? The one that is expected to lose between $30 and $45 million this year? I remember back when Wayne Gretzky's group was attemp...
With the tedium of the All Star break thankfully behind us for another year, two counting the Olympics, we can now get back to the business of meaningful hockey with all the gusto that is associated with the regular season run in. Heading into the NHL’s maligned showcase weekend, one of this decade’s most memorable mid season pile ups was materializing in the Western C...
... and all through the league,
there were plenty of rumors,
for us to enjoy ...
When out of the shadows a blogger appeared,
With laptop in hand and opinions to share!
Well, with that out of the way ... I figured it would be interesting to evaluate the current Leafs on their contributions and performances so far and gauge whether they should be available in Burke'...
Recently I've seen a lot of questionable calls by officials on some hard hits in the NHL and NCAA. Cal Clutterbuck, for example, was given a 5 minute major and a game misconduct for his hit against Vancouver's Alex Burrows. Watching the game on Fox Sports I cannot help but ask if the NHL is trying to send a message that it wants to be the "No Hit League."
Did Clutterbuc...
Howdy from Ottawa. No more bus strike (old news, I know) and a new coach. No new players though or should I say yet.
Glad to be back blogging here. Lots has gone on in Sens country and to be frank there really was no need for me to beat a dead horse with countless blogs during another dark period for the franchise. Enough rival fans are laughing at us, we don't need to ...
Howdy from the nation's capital. Elliott deserved a better fate tonight, though the Sens showed signs of life in a third period for once this season.
Elliott and Bruins goalie Tim Thomas put on a goaltending clinic in the shootout, finally ending on a sweet move by Boston third-liner PJ Axelsson. It is still tough to figure out why Dany Heatley cannot score in the SO (n...
Howdy from Ottawa.
Looks like negotiations with Sens forward Chris Neil are going poorly as both sides are far apart on the money. As written yesterday, if Neil wants more than Ruutu than he is gone. It appears he wants more than Ruutu and if that doesn't change by or before March 4th (I highly doubt it will) then Chris Neil will no longer be a Senator.
So what is th...
Howdy from a bus-running Ottawa.
Much needed and deserved win for the Ottawa Senators tonight. Congrats to Cory Clouston on his first win as an NHL coach. For most of the season this club has not provided fans with there monies worth. But over the last two games Sens fans can leave with the feeling of money well spent. And that second period...whoa. Could that have been...
Sean Avery is an idiot. He has been alienating his teammates since he came into the league. He has made extremely insulting and hurtful comments. He has taken shots at Dion Phanuef, Quebec, Martin Broduer and allegedly Jason Blake in the last two seasons alone. He is a locker room cancer, the type of guy who destroys chemistry by creating conflict and division within a tea...
goldenj writes...
Sens beat Sabres again, Philly tonight and Paddock speaks
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Howdy from a rain-soaked nation's capital...Ottawa not Washington. Obama will be here though next week, for about 5 hours.
Excellent game last night from our Sens. Elliott was outstanding in goal and the club didn't look like a road team for once. They were agressive when needed and did a fantastic job on the PK, though without Thoms Vanek in the lineup Buffalo's PP ha...
nephew23 writes...
Stars Keep Plodding Along - UPDATE - Richards out 6-8 weeks
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[b][u]UPDATED[/u] --- Ouch! Just as everyone was healthly and really clicking, we have just found out that Brad Richards broke his wrist last night and will miss 6 - 8 weeks. He will most certainly be missed . . . but maybe not as much as it would appear. I'll grant you that he is highly skilled and a necessary piece of the puzzle, but he is not centering the top line a...
General Manager Garth Snow decided to pull the trigger on a deal yesterday instead of waiting until the heavily anticipated March 4th trade deadline madness. In a deal with the Ottawa Senators receiving young defense-man Chris Campoli and center Mike Comrie, the Isles got back in return left-wing Dean McAmmond and San Jose's first round pick in this year's draft.
With ...
[b]Erik: "I plan to stay another year ' [/b]
It was the summer that the Defensemen was drafted by Daniel Alfredsson of Ottawa, as number 15 in the first round, and curiously enough, it was just in Ottawa as the Landsbro kid was for the first time entered in the history books seriously - as a junior World Cup's best back. Not bad city, if Erik had to say it.
He had j...
After my last blog about the Flyers possibly getting Pronger and Guerin, it is a wonder I even want to write another blog...but I figure that if I was wrong before, I have to be right this time.
What am I right about? Daniel Carcillo is a good fit in Philadelphia.
There are a number of factors necessary to truly appreciate the meaning of this deal:
1 - The deal ...
I have to say, when I first read about Upshall (and a 2nd) being traded for Carcillo I was pretty upset. Having given things time to digest, I'm not so upset. While I think the Yotes may have gotten the best of Homer on this one, this [i]could[/i] end up working out ok for the Flyers.
While I really loved what Upshall brought to the team and believe he has a higher ce...
Miller who?
Of course, I say that facetiously. Ryan Miller is the key to the Sabres hopes if they can pull it together to get into the playoffs.
But who would have expected Patrick Lalime to step up the way he has in Miller's absence?
He's done exactly what you want from your backup goaltender - step in and give your team a chance to win every single night he pla...
I fail to understand how a team with its collective backs against the wall can show as little interest in competing as they did tonight.
After their loss at Ottawa on Saturday, where they may have executed poorly but at least battled throughout the game, one would think they would come out fired up for a must win game tonight.
And yet, it looked like the Sabres were ...
As of right now the Blues have a chance to be in the 8th spot come late Tuesday night.
Tonight:
Need the Ducks to lose.
Monday:
Need the Preds to lose
Tuesday:
Need to win. Need the Wild to lose
Wednesday:
Need the Ducks to beat the Sexual Predators. If the Ducks win tonight this game makes it impossible for us to keep the 8th spot.
The NHL is ridiculousl...
With the playoffs approaching and the trade deadline long gone I decided to give my opinion on which NHL coaches and GM's should be on the hotseat between now and next season.
1.) Bob Gainey, Head Coach/GM, MON -
Gainey was so upset with the fact that his team was only in 5th place after the trade deadline that he fired a well-respected Guy Carbonneau and name...
Phigment writes...
Why the NHL Standings are a farce and 3 Point Games stink
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I listen to people complain about the 3 point games and at this time of the year there are more complaints than ever. I hear Gary Bettman explain on his radio show that the races are more exciting than ever and the shootout is great for the game.
I say bullshirt! Nobody goes to the game hoping to see a shootout. I feel this is ruining the sport just like the 3 point ...
Phigment writes...
Why the NHL Standings are a farce and 3 Point Games stink
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I listen to people complain about the 3 point games and at this time of the year there are more complaints than ever. I hear Gary Bettman explain on his radio show that the races are more exciting than ever and the shootout is great for the game.
I say bullshirt! Nobody goes to the game hoping to see a shootout. I feel this is ruining the sport just like the 3 point ...
Phigment writes...
Why the NHL Standings are a farce and 3 Point Games stink
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
I listen to people complain about the 3 point games and at this time of the year there are more complaints than ever. I hear Gary Bettman explain on his radio show that the races are more exciting than ever and the shootout is great for the game.
I say bullshirt! Nobody goes to the game hoping to see a shootout. I feel this is ruining the sport just like the 3 point ...
Crosby or Flyer Fans?
Just for fun, I like to read the opposing team's blog and comments during the playoffs. It helps me to get a true hatred for the other team's fans going!
I am kidding of course.
I have been alive too long to HATE any other team's fans or even any of the other teams at this point...although as players go...Scott Hartnell is tough to like...whe...
Mr_X writes...
Sens have Current Team issues to deal with before UFA period
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Alright, So I won't talk about what the sens should do or who they should sign in the off season, but rather what they should do to finalise they're team and roster spots before they even get there, before they can worry about anything else.
The sens had alot of problems this year, it's dealt with, it's done, let's forget and learn about it, they have to address their c...
I've been following the never ending quest of Jim Basille to beg, borrow or steal an NHL franchise to bring back to his hideout in Hamilton. Now I don't really have a vested interest in this soap opera since I'm not a fan of the Coyotes (although it seems that that wouldn't put me in the minority in Arizona), nor am I partial to ensuring a team relocates to Hamilton, Ont....
With all the talk about what the fate of the Coyotes will be after today's hearing and the likely appeals on any decisions, I decided to put my two cents in on the argument.
With or without Jim Balsillie, the NHL will not be successful with a team in Hamilton, Ontario. This is not an attack on the dedicated hockey fans of Canada. In my honest opinion the league should a...
so here is what i don't get...i understand both the pros and cons for moving the coyotes, but to ontario? just won't happen.
since the lock-out, the league has sky rocketed in popularity...the fan base has exploded tremendously. fans are coming into something great now, and to move a team like the coyotes to ontario would be a bad idea.
why? well now you have to re-d...
Lets look into this a bit. The Jets had pitiful attendance figures that declined right up until they moved to Phoenix. In their last season, the Jets averaged just over 11,000 fans per game.
Generally, Corporate ticket sales make up around 60-70% of total ticket sales, on average. The remaining tickets are ones bought by you and me, Individuals. The Jets were the third ...
This was a really good event and I look forward to going this year. This is for a good cause, to help knock out MS.
Here is a link to my pics from last year
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157606797506365/
This year will be August 23rd at Swanky Bubbles from 12-3.
I hope all of you Flyers faithful will be able to attend.
Last year, during the Wings Playoff Series with the Avs, I wrote the following:
[i]"There is [b]NO QUESTION[/b] that the Av's Cody McLeod has foolishly, and dangerously unleashed the [b]CURSE OF THE OCTOPUS[/b]! After the National Anthem was completed, a fan threw the traditional cephalopod onto the Hockeytown ice. Wings fans cheered. But then, McLeod actually skated ov...
Support a great cause and help Riley Cote, of the Philadelphia Flyers, knock out MS.
http://cotecarnival.net/
I bought my ticket today. Buy yours and come out for a great time.
Pictures from last years event can be found here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157606797506365/
The title that I wanted to put for this was too long so I had to shorten it. I don't mean to cause any kind of hatred or anything with it. The original title was to be: "Why the NHL is better off in Phoenix than in Winnipeg - Part 2: The Rebuttals".
Alright, so I promised to write a blog to counter the 18 comments on my last blog. Close to half of those comments didn't ...
Howdy from Ottawa.
Hindsight is 20/20. It is real easy to critize an athlete or management after the fact. But quotes are that one little caveet that helps us draw the line from past to present. Here is one from Senators owner Eugene Melnyk.
"There's no question he'll be back next year. Bryan's done a great job," Melnyk said. "The way you judge a good GM is the way h...
Mr_X writes...
Who gets the "A" - Some Team Leadership - What about Neil?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
So here's something that really gets to me.. Yea I’m not liking what Heatley’s doing, but what was management thinking when they gave him the “A”, permanently?! I remember watching the first or second game since he'd been promoted; with that fancy letter on his jersey he started it off with an undisciplined 10 minute misconduct cross-check to a player the opposing ...
First thing's first, congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins! Once the Devils were eliminated they became my adopted team from the East, and while my adopted team from the West, Chicago, did not make it to the finals, Pittsburgh both made it and won. I'm also happy for a pair of former Devils—Bill Guerin's only other Stanley Cup came here in Jersey back in his rookie ...
First I want to start off by saying that I am the worst flier of all time and having just come back from Europe, petrified of turbulence over the Atlantic, all I could think of the entire time was "what if I don't get to see who Ottawa takes 9th overall?" Nothing about not seeing family or friends again, just that I won't get to see who is selected, who they sign and how L...
First I want to start off by saying that I am the worst flier of all time and having just come back from Europe, petrified of turbulence over the Atlantic, all I could think of the entire time was "what if I don't get to see who Ottawa takes 9th overall?" Nothing about not seeing family or friends again, just that I won't get to see who is selected, who they sign and how L...
As I was writing a response to Mr. Christopher's, I felt that it would be better suited as it's own blog instead of just a short reply.
First off I would like to say that I agree 100% with everything Chris said, great blog... and to everybody calling Heatley a murderer and bringing up Atlanta, just stop. This scenario is completely different and I don't think anybody in...
Somebody asked me Why I post the Blogs on the weekend when I get no traffic to look at the blogs. I simply responded because I get no traffic to read my blogs anyways :) Now on with the observations of the weekend.
[b]
The Two biggest trades on the weekend[/b]
Mr. Sutter is at it again, as he trades for the rights of JBO, out of Florida, which cost us Leopold an...
Let me start by saying that I am a Leafs fan and in no way shape or form do I have a liking for the Ottawa Senators. I wanted to ask the masses of people out there if Dany Heatley may have a point in all of this. Personally, I think Heatley is a bum and that he will get what he deserves (contract ripped up, lifelong injury etc...).
I was quite disapointed for Ottawa...
Howdy from Ottawa where the jets just flew by...Happy Canada Day!
Here is the new link to this blog - www.mvn.com/colinjeffrey's301
Trying to re-design the blog soon, summer project. 301 of course is in reference to the movie '300' and its historical events.
Thanks again for reading...Eklund's hockeybuzz website is confident Heatley will waive the NTC and go to ED...
It's been two weeks since Dany Heatley twice declined to accept a trade to Edmonton that would have Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner and Ladislav Smid to Ottawa. I'm not going to lie, initially I was furious. The idea of freeing up $2.117M in cap space while simultaneously acquiring a young promising talent like Cogliano, excited me to no end. Anxiously awaiting Dany's decis...
On the heels of Brian Burke saying that the team is still not a finished product, and he will continue to make changes through free agency and trades, I thought I would take a quick look at the free agents that still remain out there that Burke could show interest in.
The following are some free agents i would inquire about, not necessarily chase....
Travis Moen
- ...
So let's put all this Heatley drama aside for a second and look ahead to the upcoming season. Am I being too optimistic or do Sens fans have a lot to look forward to?
Let's start with the [b]coaching[/b]. The last few years have been turbulent in terms of coaching for Sens fans. Cory Clouston is a young, new coach who seems to want to bring a whole new identity to this...
For the many faithful readers (maybe 2 or 3 in all) of my blog posts I apologize for not reacting to the monumentally critical signing of RW Ales Kotalik by the Rangers immediately upon the announcement. If this addition doesn’t guarantee a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals then I don’t know what else Glen Sather can do as President/GM. This is the player who will set up ...
Last year, the Islanders led the National Hockey League with more than 500 man games lost to injury. That is a pretty obscene number, taking into consideration the fact that these human beings are professional athletes, and they should be physically prepared for a grueling 82-game season. I will not begin to point fingers at the Islanders strength and conditioning staff, a...
What if the Rangers were to land Dany Heatley? Who would they give up? Ryan McDonaugh was aquired from Montreal because Murray wanted him in exchange for Heatley. Rozsival and Zherdev are the two biggest trade bait as of now and one of them is expected to be dealt. I feel that maybe a three way trade may be going down between the Rangers, Sharks, and Senators. This could b...
Just around this time last year I came home to find out that Ted Nolan had been relieved of his duties of head coach of the new york islanders. My initial reaction was shock, followed by a bit of anger, and then acceptance. While Nolan was a really great coach, it seemed there was a bitter struggle going on internally between him and Garth snow regarding the direction of...
- Former Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators goaltender Martin Gerber has signed with Atlant Mytischi of the KHL, the team has reported.
Gerber supposedly spurned an offer from the Pittsburgh Penguins at being their backup goalie this season, hours before the Penguins signed Brent Johnson. Gerber said that he wanted to play in the KHL to prove that he "still had it...
The latest in the Dany Heatley Soap Opera (according to ESPN.com) is that the Senators have rejected a trade offer that would have sent Sharks RW Jonathan Cheechoo and offensive defenceman Christian Erhoff to Ottawa for Heatly.
Reasons why the trade was not accepted were not posted, but judging by what I've read all summer long it came down to money.
Since Heatley's ...
Why is it that the Flyers LOVE taking penalties?
In previous blogs, I've already mentioned how I don't like the fact that the Flyers love taking penalties. I'm not sure where the obsession comes from, but the Flyers taking a penalty is just as common an occurrence as Sean Avery proving how much of an idiot he is time and time again.
I have also mentioned before how t...
Since my car decided to die on me last night I'm stuck at my computer instead of enjoying my wonderful California summer. So here are some thoughts based on stories I've read on ESPN.com the last two days:
[u]Phoenix Coyotes Staying in the Desert?[/u]
I'm not sure I believe Gary Bettman's argument that hockey can succeed in the desert, but if someone is willing to tr...
August is usually a quiet time in the NHL. Most of the relevant free agents have been signed, the big trades have been made and teams are just gearing up for training camp. There are still some interesting story lines out there and I've decided to take a closer look at a few of them. In no particular order:
Heatley to San Jose?
First, confirming a rumor I initially...
I was reading a post on the Wild Message Boards titled Why don't the Wild have any good fan blogs? and I thought to myself: Why don't I create one? I'm a die-hard Wild fan and have been ever since the State of Hockey was blessed with the return of an NHL franchise. I remember back in the summer of 1997 sitting out on Lake Mille Lacs with my family. fishing and listening to...
gkmkiller writes...
Statistical Comparison: Zherdev, Antropov and Kotalik
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Now that it is official and Zherdev will not be a Ranger in 2009-2010, I thought it would be a good time to analyze and compare the changes that Glen Sather has implemented to the Rangers’ wings. My hope is this comparison will help in determining whether it was wise for GM Glen Sather to walk away from Zherdev’s arbitration award and allow Antropov to walk in favor o...
I just read Eklunds latest blog and Ek had something to say of Dan. It reads...
Heatley himself is actually in Toronto (hmmm) today to speak at a Canadian Hockey Summit at Toronto's Westin Harbour Castle Hotel put together by The One Goal Association. Heatley is not manning up and speaking of the last two months, but rather will speak on his experiences growing up and p...
mapleleafsforever writes...
Balsillie Blah Blah Blah... Coyotes Blah Blah Blah...
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Did I get your attention? Great.
I've been reading some pretty hilarious stuff since the ruling by Judge Redfield T. Baum regarding the September 10th auction for the Phoenix Coyotes Franchise. If you haven't heard the ruling you must tell me how you fit your computer under that rock which you must surely reside beneath. Essentially, the Judge has declared that all b...
There's really no way this can end well.
The drama surrounding the Phoenix Coyotes has been going on for months. It's almost certainly hurt the morale of the team, and it's been terrible publicity for a league that already struggles to maintain credibility outside of the Canadian market.
Part of establishing that credibility has been trying to prove that hockey is a...
The movie Jerry Maguire started this phrase, and it even won an Oscar for Cuba Gooding Jr., but should it apply to someone trying to sell a hockey team or better a bankrupt team? Sure there have been some offers made to buy the team, but none that come close to the Balsillie offer. This decision shouldn't come down to just money, but because it is in the courtroom, it prob...
Idk if I want Heatley anymore but he sure as hell would make a fine addition to the team! Let me know if this deal is fair......
To OTT
Rozsival
Higgins
Sanguinetti
1st round pick and 5th round pick
To NYR
Heatley
We would have killer lines if this was made. We sign Francis Bouillon at 1.2 for 2 years and Brandon Dubinsky at 2 years, 2 million and we are ri...
So news continues to spread over where Heatley may or may not end up and what's coming back. Many seem to believe that Heatley will not return as much as he's worth considering his media portrayal over the last couple months has hurt his chances of bringing a better return.
However, Bryan Murray knows exactly what he wants for Heatley and he's not going to accept a trad...
The more posts and reliable news outlets I read there is a common theme. The NHL is anti Canada. Now, I know I may not be the most educated man on the planet or the most business savy, but there were some basic lessons in economics and business. There will be some people who may have a degree or more experience in the field I am about to talk about and I will take critici...
the 2nd Annual Cote Carnival is being held Sunday August 23rd @ Swanky Bubbles.
As of right now guests are Aaron Asham, Ray Emery and Riley Cote.
Admission covers food, drinks and entertainment. There will be player and alumni appearances with the opportunity to receive autographs, and particpate in silent auctions and raffles. A small donation will be required fo...
As a die hard Hockey fan, i've been looking at all the trade rumors out there. Some of them Make no sense and some arent that far fetch. So what I wanted to do is look at all those rumors and see which one would be best suited for the Sens...
First off the find out what would be best for the sens, we would need to know what is the biggest weak spot in the Sens lineup......
An amazing insider interview by James Mirtle wrt to the Phoenix Coyotes situation.
[i][b]"The view from Phoenix: An interview with 12 News reporter Brahm Resnik (and why he thinks Reinsdorf will win)"[/b][/i]
A completely different point of view, and an important read.
See James Mirtle's Blog at [b]'fromtherink.com'[/b]
JC
10th in the West.
Is this what you expected? Better than you expected? or worse?
For me, its what I expected. This team has a solid first line, a strong 1st d-man pairing and good goalie, who will try to erase the Predator curse of goaltenders in their 1st season of full time duty acting as sitting ducks on ice. This team has depth on defense in terms of players who ...
Mr_X writes...
Who takes on leadership with Sens - Roster still questioned?
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[url]http://s1.zetaboards.com/NHSL/index/[/url]
See Below
So here's something that really gets to me.. Yea I’m not liking what Heatley’s doing, but what was management thinking when they gave him the “A”, permanently?! I remember watching the first or second game since he'd been promoted; with that fancy letter on his jersey he started it off with an undiscipli...
Today the second annual Cote Carnival was held at the Swanky Bubbles Champagne Bar to Benefit MS.
The day began with a long line in the smoldering sun leaving many Flyers fans hot and sweaty. When the doors opened Riley Cote was waiting to greet the fans after they walked in. Things like that truly show how outstanding Cote is with Player-Fan relations. He is by far th...
The 2nd Annual Cote Carnival was a great success. It was a great day and event for a great cause to knock out MS. Words can’t tell the story better then pictures.
Full set of pix
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/sets/72157622000579083/
Ray Emery and Pat Maroon
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3850988266/in/set-72157622000579083/
Jeff Carter and ...
Why can't people understand that the Coyote franchise is on the hook for $750+ Million in lease dues for the arena under the financing of the arena. The league cannot move the team to the Eastern Conference at this late date. Image a trip for the LA Kings to Dallas, Phoenix, and then Denver. Now that trip would be to Dallas, Toronto, and Colorado. Not very fair to team...
Due the the popularity of Eric Engels weekly question list, I decided to write my own :) Answer in comments...
1.Who wins the Stanley Cup this year?
2. Will the Habs make the Playoffs?
3. How will Ray Emery's NHL return play out?
4. Does Carey Price make a remarkable turn around?
5. Will the Pheonix Coyotes re-locate by 2011?
6.With a new contract, how does Roberto...
Per Julie Robenhymer, live from Traverse City, Mich, the Wild prospects have defeated the Dallas Stars prospects 2-1 in a shootout. Apparently, Falk and Schmidt were involved in a couple of good fights. Another win for the good guys. Way to go Wild prospects!
A few thoughts…
It was actually Brian Burke, the proverbial King of controversy, that said the sooner this Coyotes Bankruptcy saga is all squared away the better it will be for everybody. Burke hit the nail on the head. If this mess is not resolved within the next three weeks than it will drag out over the entire season and not only distract the Coyotes players from c...
Daniel Alfredsson is the longest serving of all active Captains in the NHL. I can't imagine an Alfie-less Sens. I've watched him win the Calder Trophy (for rookie of the year) when he still wore that JOFA helmet. I was there when he took over for Yashin. I was there when he got his hair cut. And I was there when he scored the Overtime goal to send Ottawa to the Stanley Cup...
Every team needs a great supporting cast, a machine, to do the dirty work and chip in every now and then. These players are best when they are responsible, inexpensive and full of heart. In the past the Sens have had issues with secondary scoring that only was not apparent the year we went to the cup finals. We have always had a plethora of guys to plays the roles, but it ...
As a DirecTV subscriber, I was all set to see the Wings Swedish opener this Friday on Versus. But, because of the cut-throat, in-bred telecommunications world, I have to make other plans.
So I miss my team's opener. Too bad for me. Too bad for Wings fans. Really too bad for hockey. However, I have no intention of calling up DirecTV to complain or rearrange my life by...
Again I don't think that I need to rehash the last preseason game. I am glad that the regular season starts tonight for the league and tomorrow for the Flyers.
Here are my pics including Coburn's fight. Poor Coby
Syvret
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3970782166/in/set-72157622493273780/
Carter
http://www.flickr.com/photos/neat1325/3970017143/in/set-72...
It's certainly too soon to draw an conclusions, good or bad, from what's transpired so far this season, but there were definitely a few surprises that came out of opening weekend this season. Some of them may point to a trend, while others may be classified as a blip on the radar.
[u]Hot Starts[/u]
[b]Blues own the Wings[/b]
The fact that Blues won both games again...
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...
Welcome to week 2 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (10/12 through 10/18).
[u]Week 1 Review[/u]
Week 1 was all about the Washington Capitals, with the top 4 scoring leaders coming from D.C. Of those, only Brooks Laich can be considered surprising. Most likely, he's already been nabbed in your league. What's more surpris...
Three games into the new season and the Rangers find themselves 2 – 1 – 0 heading into a big early season match-up with the team that knocked us out of last years postseason. I will be watching intently to see how the new Rangers players and the Torts’ style of play compare to the offensive juggernaut that is the Capitals. In last year’s playoffs, the Capitals domi...
When Henrik Lundqvist allowed a seemingly harmless dump-in from center ice squirt by him for the tying goal early in the third period yesterday my mouth literally hung open with shock. Was this the turning point in what had been a solid effort against a very good Caps team? Were we going to lose a game because our heroic goalie allowed a silky, soft goal?
My fears began...
The Rangers entered Sunday’s matinee contest against the Anaheim Ducks feeling pretty good about themselves. After all, they were riding a 3 game winning streak and had gotten the hoped for offensive production from FA additions Marian Gaborik and Vinny Prospal. Plus they were catching the Ducks on the back end of two games in two nights.
The Rangers would have to be ...
Since Jan Levine (and others) has already recapped last night’s game so well, I won’t bore the few (ok, 1 or 2) readers that I have with yet another recap. It’s obvious anyway after watching last night’s contest that there are two truths about the Rangers and Leafs; the Rangers have really taken to Tortorella’s system and conditioning and the Leafs just flat suck...
I'll try my best not to hype up tonight's game between the Preds and Hawks.
However, it does hold rather large importance for the Preds. Its their first game against a divisional opponent in the increasingly competitive Central Division. The team is also coming off two straight shellackings at the hands of the Oilers and Stars, respectively, while having lost 3 straig...
[i]"The Coyotes managed a sellout in their home opener when all tickets were sold for $25 or less. The team's second home game on Thursday night drew an announced crowd of just 6,899."[/i]
- The Canadian Press
Here it goes: Give the team to Balsillie, move them to Hamilton and make some money in a healthy location.
[b]Phoenix, I'm sure you are a nice city but as an ...
Here's a new look:
Canadian franchises are in danger, not because they aren't drawing enough crowds or making enough money. No, Canadian franchises are in danger because the game as a whole is struggling.
When 80% of the league is based in either a non-hockey market (boy have we heard that phrase a lot this summer) or in a struggling economy (sorry neighbors to the s...
Big win for Philadelphia tonight as they get closer to playing a full 60-minute game. For the most part the Flyers were up on their skates and initiating contact while pursuing the puck, however, the Panthers looked like they were just trying to get out of town after the big Richards hit on Booth.
[b]First Period[/b]
Back and forth game as both teams have several scor...
The news came today that Jay Pandolfo and Paul Martin are both expected to miss 4-6 weeks. Pandolfo's shoulder seems more serious, as although a timetable has been given, GM Lou Lamoriello admits he is not certain when Pando will return. Martin's forearm fracture will really hurt the Devils, as they lose, arguably, their best (defensive) defenseman. Cory Murphy will be ...
Colin Campbell said on NHL Live this afternoon that there was nothing illegal about Mike Richards' hit on David Booth Saturday night.
"He did not jump. He did not elbow him. He did not hit him in a place where he wasn't expecting it. It was an area where you expect to get hit, both the player passing the puck and the player doing the hitting," Campbell said.
Campbell...
Good road game by the Predators. Got timely scoring and good goal tending (except for that 2 minute blip in the 2nd period). Heck the Preds even got another powerplay goal and a shorty. The Preds finished this 5 game road trip with a 2-2-1 record.
Game Notables:
Smithson (A+) - When your fourth line grinder gets the game winning, short handed goal you deserve an ...
I’ve crusaded against the OT point ever since the NHL got rid of ties. Why a losing team should get anything is beyond me. So, I’ve got a plan to remedy this situation: either go back to ties, or stop giving out the loser point.
[b]The history[/b]
Believe it or not, the OT point served a purpose at one time. Back when you could tie, teams were perfectly content to ...
Much has been made about Bob Gainey's changes this off-season. From optimistic to apocalyptic predictions about the team, it's all fairly inconsequential until game 82. But who are the Montreal Canadiens?
Currently holding an 8-10-0 record, having played as many or more games than any other team in the East we sit in a pretty dissapointing 11th place, and as much as I l...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091114/capt.36df281e5b144d3fbca20df904c74148.flames_sabres_hockey_nyd101.jpg[/img]
Calgary (11-4-1) vs. Buffalo (10-4-1)
What more could you ask for in this game? It's too bad these teams only meet once a season.
It was as advertised. These two teams played extremely well, making this game have the feel of a playoff atmosphere.
T...
Well folks what can we say about this last loss to the Thrashers. Yeah there we some bright spots, Penner got his 12th, the goaltending is still okay to good. But for some reason this team just doesn't seem to be able to put together a complete game. Skate miles and miles and pass lots with no results most of the time. This is truly a one line team when it comes to scorin...
Admit it, when the Rangers broke out of the gate on fire this season, we all still had this flicker of doubt about whether this team was for real or not. Memories of last season’s fast start tempered our enthusiasm somewhat. But then we were all convinced that this team was different. They were scoring goals and converting on the power play; things that last year’s edi...
I received an interesting email today from the Columbus Blue Jackets. I’ve been on their mailing list for a couple of years after buying tickets from their website, but haven’t unsubscribed as I enjoy getting some of their offers. For example, last month, I received an offer of a lower bowl ticket, a pre-game buffet in the club section and a beer in their in-arena pu...
Headshots are the hot topic around the league now and I am glad. As a Flyers fan we have lost 2 of the best players ever to wear Orange and Black to head shots. These two players are Eric Lindros and Keith Primeau. The problem that I have with the league now, is that similar hits as the ones that injured these two are now called “dirty” and yet the league put Scott ...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Latendresse traded to Minnesota for Benoit Pouliot
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Ok, quick post just so everyone knows. As it stands, I don't know much about Pouliot except that he was drafted just ahead of Price in the 2005 draft and that he is a big underachieving player.
Here are his career stats:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/stats?playerId=3207
It looks like a pretty clear case of swapping one struggling player for another.
More...
It's the time of year when you take a minute and reflect upon your life and the things in it that you are thankful for. If you haven't done that already...make sure you do before this holiday is over.
With me...first and foremost...it's my family...and the fact that we are all healthy. You can't really enjoy the other things in life the way you should, without that. It'...
The Flames needed a win at home, and they did exactly that; gaining a decisive 2-1 victory over the Phoenix Coyotes. Not the prettiest game in the world to watch but a win is a win anyway you slice it.
With two of the better goaltenders going head to head, one could have guessed that this would have been a low scoring affair. Let’s compare their stats after tonight�...
********************************************************************
Headshots are the hot topic around the league now and I am glad. Let’s look at some possible ways to protect both the players and keep hitting in the game. These hits are not new to hockey; if you watch the NHL videos over the years these hits are advertised as a reason to watch the game.
[b]Solut...
Unfortunately, the amazing run away from home ice had to end sometime. With tonight’s 2-1 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes, the Flames failed to pick up a point on the road for the first time since October 13th, when they fell 2-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Another streak ended tonight as Miikka Kiprusoff allowed a goal for the first time in 159 minutes and 10 seconds aft...
[i]The following is completely ficticious and is meant only for your amusement. I don't actually believe anything that follows and neither should you.[/i]
The Phoenix Coyotes will win the Stanley Cup this year. It's not because they are the best team, or because they are built for the playoffs, or even because Ilya Bryzgalov is the best goaltender in the world this year...
Jean Charest, Premier of Quebec, said this week that after talking with Gary Bettman, he is confident NHL hockey will return to Quebec City. “It is going to happen,” said the Premier, citing plans to build a new arena to lure the NHL back to Quebec’s capital city.
Cela est une grande idée Jean. But here’s why it ain’t gonna happen.
1. Population of Quebec ...
[img]http://d.yimg.com/a/p/rids/20091217/i/r822088240.jpg[/img]
Buffalo (20-9-2) vs. Ottawa (16-12-4)
Since the 2005-2006 season, the Senators have dominated the Sabres, winning 21 of 31.
On Wednesday night, it remained that way.
After the first period the Senators were only up 1-0. I say ONLY because of Ryan Miller. The game could have easily been out of reach f...
[IMG:left]http://i49.tinypic.com/b62ecn.png[/IMG] So a little bit of the progress made was erased last night in the dismantling at the hands of the desert dogs. I can honestly say I don't think I've seen the Leafs look so disorganized. Not even in the early season slide was it as apparent they weren't ready for their opponent as it was in last nights contest. At times t...
Buffalo (21-10-2) vs. Pittsburgh (24-10-1)
Another big challenge for Buffalo arrived on Saturday night. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins were in town to try and defeat the Sabres. Pittsburgh had Friday night off, while the Sabres were busy beating Toronto. Thomas Vanek was unable to play due to an upper body injury. However, Patrick Kaleta was back in the lineup for the f...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Gameday preview, Pouliot, AK46 fantasy...
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Habs were stuck in Long Island due to the massive snow storm that came in and didn't arrive in Atlanta till 3am. Halak gets the start tonight and Benoit Pouliot has been recalled from Hamilton. Interesting fantasy look at AK46.
http://www.habsaddict.com
Remember to check Habs To The Top daily for all your Habs links!
http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/daily-hab...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Hamrlik, Halak, Mara, Atlanta, Pouliot
Posted Tuesday | Comments 1
Habs post game reports, injury report on Mara and MAB, Pouliot makes bedut vs. Carolina, and Halak trade rumours.
http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/daily-habs-links-atlanta-win-hamrlik.html
Bookmark Habs To The Top today! (http://www.HabsAddict.com)
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Game preview, Pouliot, Gionta, Mara...
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Gameday updates, injury information, Pouliot in the line up, Gionta suffers setback and more. Read all about it on Habs To The Top
http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/daily-habs-links-game-preview-pouliot.html
Bookmark us today!
http://www.HabsAddict.com
Ottawa (18-15-4) at Buffalo (22-11-3)
The last meeting between these two teams resulted in a 5-3 win for Ottawa back on November 21st. However, several Sabres were suffering from food poisoning that night. A few nights later, when the Minnesota Wild came to visit, their players found that their equipment was set on fire. The Senators have won six straight games against ...
It is absolutely astounding that the Buffalo Sabres were even able to sneak a point out of their usual kryptonite, the Senators. Right from the opening puckdrop, the effort was simply not there from most of the Sabres, the exception being the guy in the blue paint. It took 18 Ottawa shots and 17 1/2 minutes of game time for the Sabres to get a puck through to Pascal LeCl...
In an interesting turn of events, the Ottawa Senators pulled a 'Montreal Canadiens' move on the Habs by being outshot and outplayed but ultimately winning the game 4-2. Full marks to the Sens who were a team decimated by injuries and were missing Daniel Alfredsonn, Jason Spezza and Nick Foligno. On paper, this game should have been a walk in the park for the Habs and for t...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Markov, Pouliot, Sabres, Kostitsyns...
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Markov and Pouliot play their 1st homegames of the season, will Kostitsyn brothers play this aft? Sabres pregame, who is in nets.
http://www.HabsAddict.com
Sergei Gonchar takes a slapshot...the puck appears to either hit the post then cross bar, or the post then the bar in the back of the net...then bounce away from the Toronto goal.
The insuing pass and then chase for the puck results in Alexei Ponikarovsky heading toward the Penguin goal with a breakaway. At the last second, Gonchar gives Poni a hook.
Fleury stops th...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Daily Habs Links - Stars, Subban #3, Price, Pouliot thriving
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
We're baaaaaack! Fresh off a nice warm week in Mexico, Habs To The Top is back in action and ready to roll for the second half of the season. Hope you all had a great holiday season and a fab new years. Ok, on with it then...
The Hockey News says PK Subban is the third best prospect in the AHL, Pouliot thriving with fresh start in Montreal, Stars @ Habs gameday preview,...
predram writes...
Preds for real? Burrows thoughts and Flames/Pred preview
Posted Friday | Comments 0
At 28-16-3, the Nashville Predators have held in the playoff hunt much longer than a lot of analysts or "analysts" predicted at the start of the season. There were even some who predicted the Preds to finish as low as 14th in the Western Conference. I predicted the team to finish 10th. My reasoning was that other teams made additions and got better while the Preds sat back...
Habs To The Top has a new poll up...How would you grade the Habs 1st half of the season?
Read their mid-season report:
http://www.habsaddict.com/2009/12/habs-mid-season-grades.html
And place your VOTE to tell us what you think the grade should be. The poll closes on Saturday during the third period of the game vs. Ottawa. Vote now!
http://www.HabsAddict.com
ht...
Welcome to week 17 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (1/24 through 1/31).
[u]Week 17 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Calgary, Detroit, LA, New Jersey, NY Isles, NY Rangers, Phoenix, St. Louis, Washington
[b]Teams with 2 games: [/b] Boston, Philadelphia, San Jose
Look for the Capitals to have a big week, not th...
I will not talk about last night. For me, that “game” didn’t ever happen. I have completely wiped that garbage from my mind. Instead I’m going to talk about some of the rumors that have been reported or repeated on this site.
The first is the alleged request by the Ales Kotalik camp that he be traded or allowed to go to Europe. Beautiful!! Since he has a NMC ge...
Welcome to week 18 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (2/1 through 2/7).
[u]Week 18 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Washington
[b]Teams with 2 games:[/b] NY Isles
The Islanders have cooled off a bit on the fantasy front over the past week. Don't expect g...
Kamal Panesar writes...
Montreal-Ottawa: Habs rally but fall short in 3-2 OT loss
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Well, that was a much better effort, don't you think?
After stinking up the joint in back-to-back games last weekend, the Habs finally showed up for their Saturday afternoon tilt against the Senators. Unfortunately for the Habs, they ended up losing the game, 3-2, in overtime. Despite the loss, this was a heck of a good game. The speed and skill of both teams shone yest...
1/20/10
Hello Sabre Nation, this is a guide for our trade deadline possibilities. I will do this blog for potential forwards only. Many are very similar, but here are some minor descriptions of their game. Thanks for viewing and I hope you enjoy.
It is more than likely the Buffalo Sabres will look to improve their roster at the trade deadline on March 3rd or bef...
S Kaspar Rollins writes...
The Dion Dissertation: Darryl's Downfall? Or His Salvation?
Posted Monday | Comments 0
(I'd put Kotalik in the title but that would screw up my alliteration, plus I'm trying to pretend the trade hasn't happened until the trade call is actually made...)
For the past three weeks, I have been refreshing TSN constantly after every loss, waiting for Darryl Sutter to make a big trade. I felt it was inevitable, to the point where I’ve had a blog in the queue a...
"If Gretzky can be traded, anyone can be traded."- Dion Phaneuf ... Is it just me or did Dion just compare himself with the great one? Hey Dion, you have 10 goals, relax.
>>>>>
Does anyone else find it ironic that Souray got his hand broken fighting Iginla who he was trying to get back at for injuring him earlier?
>>>>>
By my count the Flames are carrying 15 for...
[b]Burke Gets His Guys[/b]
The first big moves of the trading season have been made and is it really any surprise that Toronto GM Brian Burke was at the forefront? Burke, perhaps feeling additional pressure to improve the Leafs’ position in the standings because of the inclusion of this year’s 1st round pick that they so generously bequeathed upon Boston for the rig...
#27.
It's a number that will forever be the cause of simultaneous feelings for fans of the New Jersey Devils. Once sprawled above it, in all capitals, the name of NIEDERMAYER. It hardly fit on the back of the red and black jersey, but in that jersey a hall of fame career was created, and then solidified. Among the best skating defensemen in NHL history, incredible stick...
I must say that it was nice to see the copper and blue finally win a game last night. Although I believe that the best way for this franchise to move forward is to continue to tank this season, I definitely felt some satisfaction in seeing a notch in the Win column. It is also important for the young players on the roster that we will look to form the core of the team movi...
In a game the Calgary Flames desperately needed to win, they actually came through and delivered beating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Curtis Glencross had a hat-trick and former Maple Flake Matt Stajan scored the other goal as the Flames dominated from start to finish despite loads of penalty trouble. Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff was again on top of his game, helping lead t...
Welcome to week 19 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (2/8 through 2/14).
[u]Week 19 Matchups[/u][b]Teams with 4 games:[/b] Anaheim, Colorado, Edmonton, Nashville, NY Isles, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Vancouver
[b]Teams with 2 games:[/b] Toronto
It's the final week before the long ...
[b]If he didn’t[/b] have it before, Josh Harding should have your respect now.
As if being man enough to don a mask with pink ribbons on it two years ago to promote cancer awareness in the wake of his sister’s diagnosis of breast cancer didn’t earn your kudos, or the fact he took it in stride when his equipment burned in the team truck fire in Ottawa (his new mask...
It's been 3 games since the Leafs made the big trades for Phaneuf, Sjostrom, and Giguere last Sunday. And aside from the final 3 minute meltdown against New Jersey Friday night the team has looked very very good.
Again last night the Leafs put on a very strong performance against a team who seemed unbeatable since the return of Daniel Alfredsson. Since Alfie's return to...
When you look across the rosters in the NHL, it's remarkable to note just how many brothers there are suited up in the NHL these days. A quick glance at some of the European Olympic rosters next week with demonstrate just how prevalent the family ties have become: Sedins, Ruutus, Koivus, Lundqvists, Kostitsyns, Hossas, and the list goes on. With all the blood connections...
The Flames ran into a very hot team and two very hot players tonight in a 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Jason Spezza and Brian Elliott led the way for the Sens who have now won 11 of their past 12 games.
Spezza, for his part, has 12 points in those last 12 games; 10 of them being goals. Brian Elliott, who has won 9 in a row himself before losing to the Leafs on Satu...
Rob McGowan writes...
Matt Martin Makes Most Of Opportunity In Isles Win
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
An Islander forward last night, making his NHL debut, had an immediate impact with each shift he took in the Islanders first win in the past 8 games. Could it have been a case of first-time nerves and adrenaline working it's magic to help the youngster provide the spark this team needs? Possibly. But what we might also be seeing is the toughness and grit this team has lack...
dannyrad writes...
The Fall of an Empire that never existed in the first place
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Anyone with NHL Center Ice could clearly see 41 times a year that the franchises in Atlanta, Florida, and Phoenix are dieing.
Old News right?
Yeah, but with the swirling rumours of the NHL returning to Winnipeg, and the constant dismay of those who say "this again?", lets look at the situation a bit closer.
On any given night, except maybe when the Leafs are in t...
Just like the title says. Another game coming on Friday against another team.
I originally planned to post a general post-gold-medal game, pre-deadline blog this afternoon. However, though I expected an epic game, I had no idea just how epic. I genuinely was not expecting Sidney Crosby and Jarome Iginla to give Canada a truly generational hockey moment.
The goal will be discussed for years; it instantly joined the pantheon of legendary moments i...
I haven't seen the Matt Cooke hit and I don't care to. This blog is not about whether or not it was a clean hit.
With that out of the way what I have seen is a lot of people commenting about how dirty the hit was. What I want to know is how many people would be saying that if Savard had stood back up and skated away. I bet most would ignore it. It's just a fact of our l...
I have been saying to anyone that will listen (not many)...for some time now...that it's not hits to the head that are the problem in the NHL, it's the blindside hits that create the most potential for injury.
I'll get to that more in a second...
When it comes to hits to the head, the NHL is in a very difficult spot in terms of making rules that apply specifically to...
Phigment writes...
Head Shots, TV Contracts and the Flyers week in review
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
GM Meetings
The GM meetings this week were supposed to look at a few issues (head shots, expanded use of replay, and a few other odds and ends) however nothing else got any press coverage except the head shots in the aftermath of the Cooke hit on Savard. This hit was punishable. Cook is a repeat offender, targeted a helpless player from the blindside, and delivered an e...
Are the Sabres even good anymore? I forgot what it has been like to see them as a winning team. They have dropped 16 out of the last 20 games and are close to losing the division lead.
To be in the division lead, they had to be good at some point, right? To lose 16 of 20 and still be in the lead means that they must have done extremely well in the first half of the seas...
Not many people are expecting the Sabres to go far in the playoffs, unless you are quite an optimistic fan. Buffalo’s chances do not look good going up against Washington or Pittsburgh, which is why winning the Northeast Division is a must.
The Sabres have been slumping for a while now, and Ottawa and Montreal are coming closer with each win. Buffalo has lost 16 of it...
This isn't going to be a super long blog...at least it's not intended to be, if it turns out that way then I apologize.
Tonight's game against the New Jersey Devils was an interesting one. Yet again Toronto opened the scoring. The Leafs had a lot of trouble doing that throughout the season, but since the deadline it's been all but a guarantee that they'll notch the firs...
If you had to choose between Miller or Hasek, which one would you want on your team? Let's say both goalies came into the league at the same time, which one would you sign?
As a 21-year-old I don't remember watching Hasek as much as Miller, but I do recall "The Dominator" being an elite goaltender. The 1999 Stanley Cup Finals was when I really watched him excel, but we'...
HerbyIsGood writes...
Sabres steal win with ingenious rope-a-dope technique.
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Montreal Canadiens came out with guns a blazing tonight, unfortunately for them NHL games are 60 minutes long. The Sabres didn't look too bad in the first, but had trouble getting pucks to the net. Montreal on the other hand scored just 41 seconds into the game, as Kostitsyn managed to flick the puck over Miller's right pad off of a pass from Plekanec.
The Sabre...
Here's your Fantasy Hockey Feed for today…
4 Stars
#1 - Marian Gaborik (F - NYR) - Gaborik came up huge with 2 goals and an assist, leading the Rangers to a much needed 5-0 victory over the Islanders.
#2 - Valtteri Filppula (F - DET) - The Redwings are fighting for the final spot out West, and Filppula's performance last night granted the team 2 more points in th...
Many fans will remember this game for a long time. This wasn’t just an ordinary game. The Sabres were in the mix of one of their best regular season performances of all time, a year in which they would win the Presidents Trophy.
The Senators and Sabres have always had a rivalry, but this game was nastier than usual. Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson, two Sabre killer...
Buffalo's physical play was active in the first period. Matt Ellis, Thomas Vanek, and Patrick Kaleta were all throwing their bodies around. When challenged by Zack Smith, Kaleta dropped the gloves and took care of his opponent.
It was a good way to get the crowd into the game, but the Senators received a lucky bounce past Miller. Ottawa got on the board first after a sh...
Welcome to week 24 of the Fantasy Planner, getting you ready for next week's fantasy hockey action. (3/29 through 4/4). Only 2 weeks left to go in the regular season, so not much time for those final roster tweaks.
[u]Week 24 Matchups[/u]
[b]Teams with 4 games[/b]: Anaheim, Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Florida, LA, Minnesota, Nashvill...
The Flames won 2-1.
The Avs lost 5-2.
“So you’re telling me there’s a chance!”
With the events of tonight, the Flames now sit only two points behind Colorado with a colossal, gigantic, enormous match-up against those same Avs on Friday night in the Mile High City.
Miikka Kiprusoff single-handedly won yet another game for the Flames, who have leaned on...
Sabres Leave Ottawa With Two Points
This was the final meeting of the season between these teams, and Ottawa has won the first five. Ever since the brawl back in 2007, the Senators have had the Sabres number.
Buffalo is fighting for the second spot in the Conference, so a win tonight was important. These two teams could also meet in the second or third round of the p...
Is it just me or are there a lot of people in Calgary cheering for the Phoenix Coyotes?
Case in point, I was out on Friday night at a bar on 17th avenue grabbing a couple of beverages after the Hitmen game, while catching glimpses of the Yotes Wings game on the screen behind me. And to my amazement, and less than the time it took for me to order a beer an enormous cheer...
gkmkiller writes...
Time To Make Your Move, Gary: An Open Letter To Gary Bettman
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Dear Mr. Bettman,
I’m going to be blunt with you Gary; I’m not going to sugar-coat anything. Look around you, Gary. You’ve got ownership problems with a number of franchises. Every time you seem to get one squared away, like Tampa, another one or two crop up (Los Angeles and Phoenix for example). It’s time to make some hard choices my friend.
No one wants to ...
This blog is a project with Tyler, a good friend of mine, who is a blogger from hockeydigest.com. You can follow him at twitter at http://twitter.com/nhldigest. I highly recommend you follow him; he has a great hockey mind.
I am tired of the diving, especially in the playoffs. What drives me nuts is the inconsistency in calling the penalty. So here's the question:
...
As promised, today I interviewed Kyle Okposo over the phone to talk about the World Championships, the Stanley Cup Finals, and more! Check it out here!
http://thehockeywriters.com/one-on-one-with-kyle-okposo/
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
As of an 6:45 pm mst Scottie upshall has signed a 1 yr deal with coyotes.
Annotated Mock NHL Draft 2010
V-3.0
11. DALLAS STARS MIKAEL GRANLUND - F
*A young Saku Koivu*
Intelligent and quick, with exceptional skills and great vision, this kid will juice up the stars offence for years to come.
There was some concern that Granlund might be smaller than his stats listed, and if he turned out to be 5’8” or 5’9” he would hav...
Kotalik on waivers, this is a move that says buy out. If my math is correct and it usually isn't:
6 Million x .66= $3,960.000 (2/3 of the contract)
2 years x 2=4 years to pay it out
$990,000.00 over 4 years towards the cap.
in my best comic book guy from the simpsons:
" Worst....trade...ever".
Jokinen would be exactly $0.00 against the cap this year if no...
Well folks, the 2010/2011 Habs are starting to take shape.
On Monday, June 28th, the Habs announced the signings of Tom Pyatt and Benoit Pouliot.
Pyatt was acquired as part of the blockbuster trade that brought Scott Gomez to the Habs. He played 40 games for the Habs, picking up five points in the process. While not a major offensive component, Pyatt was a strong two...
The one forgotten aspect of Kotalik is that before he was traded to Calgary he had the Flames as one team he didn't want to go to, there was speculation that he would take the trade and go play in the KHL this year which would have been a much better trade for Calgary then. Having Higgins for a couple months is better than having Jokinen for a couple months. We'll see! It ...
[img]http://cdn.nhl.com/flyers/images/upload/2009/10/matsumoto_phantoms1028.jpg[/img]
Jonathan Matsumoto, the leading scorer for the Phantoms last season, has been traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for pick #206 (Ricard Blidstrand.) Some people may say the Flyers gave up too quickly on Mats. I am one of those people. Matsumoto was never given a chance to prove himself in ...
saneopinion writes...
Waiver strategy for Sutter/Ken King let's us in.
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
So Dawes, a winger who makes $850,000.00 a year will be bought out if he is not claimed by another team. His cap hit will be $141,667.00 if he is bought out, for two seasons.
This is odd because really he was producing for what his salary was, if not exceeding it.
Ales Kotalik will not be bought out, all signs point to Management saying in not so many words, "You c...
A little over a month ago, I wrote a column detailing what the Sabres’ plans for this offseason should be (see: Sabres’ Potential Blueprint, May 13th, 2010.) Some of my suggestions are still viable, others not (ex: Jason Arnott being dealt to New Jersey, Nathan Horton to Boston.)
After writing the previous article, I had a chance to review the 2009-10 season for the...
Hello All
Thinking of the Ottawa Senators off season so far as a whole, gives you a lot to think about.
Signing Gonchar solidifies the defence and adds probably the best power play defencemen into the fold at SB Place. I look forward to seeing the power play in action. I predict Spezza, Alfie, Kovo, Gonchar and Karlsson for PP1. Buying out Cheechoo is the right mov...
There are many variables that must be accounted for within an NHL team if they wish to compete for the Stanley Cup. The most important of these qualities can include offensive/defensive awareness, athletic ability and toughness. In the past few years, I have been trying to justify every move that Brian Burke has made with the Leafs. For the most part, it has been quite app...
I'm ready for the punishment. I can take it. What I'm going to do here is maybe point out why Kotalik should be on the starting roster come October. I know the prevailing thoughts are that he's going to the KHL or maybe being demoted but I will play devil's advocate here and maybe shed some light on why he was traded for in the first place. To be clear I'm not a fan but so...
Predictions for the upcoming NHL season are already being posted around the web, and many teams are not done making moves. At this point, are the Sabres good enough to win the division again?
Mike Corcoran, a Tampa Bay radio host, posted his Eastern Conference predictions with Buffalo finishing in fifth place. Corcoran stated this about the Sabres:
"Some will make th...
When I saw that Ian White signed, the first thing I read after it was referring to what moves the Flames were going to make to allow this to happen. So to be clear, they don't need to make any. Simply demoting expensive players under the guise that they were outplayed in camp would suffice. In reality having two guys in your minors who are legitimate nhl'rs would be a huge...
Mr_X writes...
Does a deal for Marc Savard make sense w/the Ottawa Senators
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I don’t want to say what both teams should or shouldn’t do, or compare players to see who would get the best deal. To me, this one just makes sense, and it falls into place with the only scenario I can realistically think would work (for both).
Savard already expressed interest in waiving his NTC for both Ontario Teams if the right trade came along. Does it make se...
What would happen if the NHL had no off-season? Can you imagine the freedom, husbands? You could watch the TV as much as you liked. Think about it, we would not have to listen to whiny kids ever. It would be your wife's job to take care of the kids all year during hockey.
The only problem is the cost of a bodyguard to protect you from your wife killing you. Who would ...
Ok !!!! To start off with yes is says rainBRO because I didn't want to give off the wrong impression.
Secondly i am posting mostly because for some odd reason it won't let me make comments on other posts although you can clearly see i am logged in it still says you have to log in to make a comment.Ugggg Back to over the rainbro.
I am a a life long oilers fan. My paren...
O...M...G.... will this off season ever end?. Can we please get a training camp up in here?? When is that prospect camp again? I'm jonesin' hard over here for some real hockey to talk about. Last night I found myself on you tube looking up our prospects and found some cool highlights:
For Backlund: [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqGTuS2YjeA[/url]
For Erixon: [ur...
This Summer, the National Hockey League has been looking at ways to improve the game. From moving the faceoff circles to eliminating shootouts, NHL officials have targeted a few ideas that could be beneficial to the entire league.
After the NHL lockout, the shootout came into effect and many fans were excited about it, as expected. The shootout was something rarely seen...
The Northeast Division is expected to be close once again this season, but the Sabres won’t have an easy time repeating as division champs again. The Northeast saw many changes and will be as competitive as ever as Toronto is attempting to return back to the playoffs.
The Northeast is considered one of the toughest in the NHL and this year should prove that statement...
UPDATE: Click link at bottom for King's response to this blog!
It’s the start of September 2010. Summer is over; well, in Calgary, it never really began weather wise but that's neither here nor there.
For the Flames, it was time to give their “Hot House” members (people who are on the waiting list for Flames season tickets) an update on the team.
The Flame...
Check out my recent post at The Checking Line, reporting the latest news on Kyle Okposo and the recent addition of Mike Mottau to the Islanders defense!
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/misery-loves-company-okposo-out-indefinitely
Also, check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers that covers injuries, training camp, and the upcoming p...
Another highly anticipated NHL season is just a couple of days away, and once again, the Buffalo Sabres are not favored to win the division. The Sabres haven’t changed too much from last year. A few players came and left, but for the most part, they are relatively the same.
Many experts have already submitted their predictions for the 2010-2011 season, and many have f...
Well folks ...
I decided to take a chance and made a couple Hockey related contacts today. I am very satisfied to say that I should have some extremely exciting news to report in the next couple weeks.
For now, I can say nothing more but stay tuned!
Did I mention I am extremely excited?
WarHero writes...
Exciting times ahead, stay tuned for more news! - *UPDATED*
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Well folks....
In regards to that Hockey news, I took a chance and because of it, I have been asked to write both live game blogs and non-live blogs for the OTTAWA 67'S!! No, it's not an NHL club but it certainly is a step in the right direction and to be honest, I [b]LOVE[/b] OHL hockey!
My first game blog will be on Friday, October 22nd against the Brampton Battali...
WarHero writes...
OHL 67’s – vs – Battalion – Oct 22nd - Let the battle begin!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hello Everyone! Welcome to [b]FIRST EVER[/b] live game blog for the Ottawa 67’s!
View the blog on the Ottawa 67 Fan Hub here: http://ottawa67shub.com/
My name is Anthony Brown and I am a hockey fanatic! This is the first of many blogs that I hope to write for the 67’s. I will be covering all things 67’s, OHL and 67’s Alumni related.
If you have any feedbac...
Friday proved to be just another frustrating night for the Buffalo Sabres and its fans. Ottawa defeated the Sabres 4-2 in front of the HSBC Arena crowd.
Daniel Alfredsson continued his tear against the Buffalo Sabres, scoring three times and earning his 1,000 career point.
Alfredsson came into the game with just one goal and four assists on the season, but had a hat ...
Hello folks!
Please visit the following link to view the article and Happy Halloween!!! May it be safe for everyone!
http://ottawa67shub.com/2010/10/31/after-15-games-player-points-projections-where-they-are-where-they-can-go/
Thank you for reading!!
Hello folks!
I had an absolute blast at the game today! The sell out crowd was very loud and fun was had by all! To read about the action please visit my LIVE game blog here:
http://ottawa67shub.com/2010/10/31/ottawa-67s-vs-kingston-frontenacs-nov-1-2010-let-the-battle-begin/
For those that don't know, Erik Gudbranson plays for the Kingston Frontenacs and man does...
Tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs will play host to the Ottawa Senators at the ACC in a game that could be a nail biter for all the wrong reasons. For fans who are looking for a tight game, the Leafs have provided endless periods of "so close!" The Senators? They seem to be running down a similar path, despite blowing out two of their opponents last week with five goals for...
WarHero writes...
Live Blog (OHL) - 67s –vs– London Knights – Nov 5th, 2010
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hey guys .. for those of you Hab fans who want to see some of Jarred Tinordi:
Ottawa 67's -vs- London Knights
Tonight: 7:30pm
Rogers Channel 22 (Ottawa)
Online: http://livestream.ontariohockeyleague.com/
I'll be live blogging the game. You can view the blog at: http://ottawa67shub.com/category/ottawa-67s/
Cheers,
Anthony
WarHero writes...
Live Blog (OHL) - 67s –vs– London Knights – Nov 5th, 2010
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hello folks!
I had an absolute blast at the game today! The crowd was very loud and fun was had by all! To read about the action please visit my LIVE game blog here:
http://ottawa67shub.com/2010/11/05/ottawa-67%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%93-vs-%E2%80%93-london-knights-%E2%80%93-nov-5th-2010-%E2%80%93-let-the-battle-begin/
Enjoy your reading!
Anthony Brown
Hello folks!
Please visit the following link to view the article and Happy Halloween!!! May it be safe for everyone!
http://ottawa67shub.com/2010/11/06/after-17-games-%E2%80%93-player-points-projections-re-visited/
Thank you for reading!!
Anthony
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers analyzing the Islanders recent seven game losing streak as fingers are starting to point at who is to blame and what should be done:
http://bit.ly/aizxI5
Leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Jhonas Enroth became the first goaltender in NHL history to have his first two wins decided by a shootout. He came close to making it three, but the Sabres were defeated 3-2 in overtime by the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
The Sabres never had the lead, but were able to earn a point in the second game of a back-to-back set. Former Sabre Martin Biron rece...
WarHero writes...
Live Blog (OHL): 67s –vs– Sting – Nov 12, 2010 - New Format!
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Hey Hockey Fans!!
Check out the new live blog site and let us know what you think about the new format! Join me later for tonight's game against the Sarnia Sting. Game time: 7:30pm
Ottawa 67's Special Guest: Michael Peca
Http://liveblog.Ottawa67sHub.com
Hope to see you there and read your comments!!
*Update* I got to spend some time with Mr. Peca. check out...
Hey 67's Fans!!
Check out the new live blog site and let us know what you think about the new format! Join me for this afternoons game against the Soo Greyhounds. Game time: 2:00pm
http://liveblog.ottawa67shub.com/?p=108
No account is required to comment. You can sign in with your Facebook or Twitter account!!!
Hope to see you there and read your comments!!
...
There are 61 games left for the Flames this season. 75% of the season still remains.
A half full type person will tell you that the Flames are 3 games below .500 and because it is so early there is not a lot to be worried about. That may be true.
A half empty person will point out that to make the playoffs you would need a minimum 93 points typically. What that mean...
[url]http://www.sportsblognetwork.net/its-nut-up-or-shut-up-time-for-the-leafs/[/url]
This could possibly be the biggest weekend of the year in Leafs Nation. The pressure is mounting, expectations are growing and the blue and white have their biggest test of the season ahead of them: Back to back road games against divisional rivals, while missing their captain and thei...
As Penguins fans know we are now without a team blogger. We have been lucky to have two high quality writers for us in Brian Metzer and Tom Mast. I know that I get enjoyment from talking about the Penguins in this forum., both on game days and non game days. Lately there has been little to no Penguins talk because there have been no new posts. My goal until we get a Pe...
The Thrashers are looking to keep it rolling tonight in Colorado versus the Avalanche. The way the team is clicking right now, they should do just that. Being drug up the standings by the play of Dustin Byfuglien and Ondrej Pavelec, the Thrashers will seek a franchise tying sixth straight win tonight. Following a week of play that included victories over the Capitals (...
SO....This is going to my first blog. To get you clued in, I am a girl, live in florida, former northern native and miss it terribly. I love hockey and I am a huge Pittsburgh Penguins fan. The thing I really hate is trying to find hockey fans down here, seriously it sucks. So I found my way here to a blog page and hopefully it will be fun!
Since I am a Pens fan, how bo...
Buffalo came into this game coming off a big win against the Blue Jackets 5-0 and Miller gaining his first shutout of the season.
The first two meetings between the two squads were split. Buffalo winning 2-1 and then dropping the 2nd meeting in Buffalo 4-2. This time, there was no scoring in 65 minutes of action, meaning that Ryan Miller and Brian Elliot each recorded ...
The leadership quality of Devil's captain Jamie Langenbrunner has been questioned since last year's mid-season slide, a trend that's worsened as it crossed into this year's campaign. At this point in the season, Langenbrunner's been as ineffective as most of the players on this team have been with only three goals and eleven points in eighteen games, going a minus ten. As ...
Stop by tonight around 7PM as I will be hosting a live blog for the Isles/Coyotes game live from the Nassau Coliseum press-box with George Prax from The Checking Line!
www.thecheckingline.com
Don't miss it!
-Rob McGowan
Check out my latest post at The Hockey Writers discussing the trade rumors that surrounded Dwayne Roloson as the Isles lost in the shootout to the Phoenix Coyotes
http://bit.ly/gtSp18
Leave comments!
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
Hello folks!
Please visit the following link to view the article and Happy Holidays!!! May they be safe and merry for everyone!
http://liveblog.ottawa67shub.com/?p=334
Thank you for reading!!
Anthony
The Flames have been under the microscope with their farm system. There have been a lot of negative comments on the Flames' drafting. The Flames' draft history has been under a lot of scrutiny, and rightly so. I have heard over and over again that the only draft pick that has turned out has been Dion. I, for one, have really questioned the Flames' picks. They have always ...
WarHero writes...
Pre/Live Game Blog - 67's vs Frontenacs -December 29th, 2010
Posted Wednesday | Comments 4
Hello folks!
Please visit the following link to view the blog and Happy Holidays!!! May they be safe and merry for everyone!
http://liveblog.ottawa67shub.com/?p=348
Thank you for reading!!
Anthony
Hello folks!
Please visit the following link to view the blog. Go 67's Go!!
http://liveblog.ottawa67shub.com/?p=379
Thank you for reading!!
Anthony
Many Rangers fans have been critical of coach Tortorella in the past. We've complained of his constant line changes, his demeanor towards some of the young talent and the way in which the team always seems to start games off slowly. I would argue though that Torts has been spot on since the beginning.
Yes, I would admit he has made mistakes, like any coach will. But whe...
As our Preds turn the 1/2 pole and start the last half of the season, I can only sit here and think of what could be. As I write this, the Preds currently sit in 5th place in the Western Conference at 52 points, 7 points behind that team from eastern Michigan and 1 point behind the Coyotes for 4th. Should I be happy and content with where we are, especially with all the ...
Hello folks!
Please visit the following link to view the blog.
http://liveblog.ottawa67shub.com/?p=441
Thank you for reading!!
Anthony
Welcome to Friday mornings Pre-Game Blog for tonight’s game versus the Saginaw Spirit!
In last Sundays game, our boys got spanked 6 – 1 by Mississauga. Justin Shugg led the way for the Majors with a hat trick while line mate Chris DeSousa had 2 assists. Cody Ceci scored the lone goal for the 67′s. It was certainly a game our boys want to forget, but should also be...
Paul Byron scores first NHL goal in Sabres 2-1 victory over Ottawa
The Sabres have entered the All-Star break on a high note, winning four of the last five games, and moving to within four points of the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.
Despite falling behind 1-0 in Ottawa on Tuesday night, Buffalo battled back and came away with two points. With his family in t...
WarHero writes...
OHL LIVE BLOG: 67's vs. Colts at 7:30 PM - Jan 28th, 2011
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Welcome to Friday afternoons Pre-Game Blog versus the Barrie Colts!
Last Sunday, we lost first liner Shane Prince after he took a nasty hit into the boards in the second period. The issue is with his shoulder and he is listed as day-to-day. After Shane left the game, the team just wasn't the same. They ended up losing to the Guelph Storm, 4 - 3.
With a 3 - 1 lead in ...
WarHero writes...
OHL LIVE BLOG: 67's vs. Colts at 2:00 PM - Jan 29th, 2011
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Welcome to Saturday afternoons LIVE Game Blog versus the Kingston Frontenacs!
[b]Pre-game Notes:[/b]
- This is the fifth meeting between the clubs this year. Ottawa won 9 - 0 last time.
- Keep your eye on Ryan Spooner & Nathan Moon for the Frontenacs.
- The 67′s are 5-5-0-0 in their last 10 games. That's a little better!
- Tyler Toffoli leads the OHL in scoring,...
Let me begin this post by congratulating our very own Michael Grabner on his stellar performance this evening in Carolina. I don't think anyone is shocked by the outcome and like I have said a million times before, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!!!!
To catch up a little bit, I know I am a few days behind but the blog went live last night so I wanna address some recent headl...
Be gentle, this is my first post on HockeyBuzz EVER!
Its well known that although E-town's rebuild is well underway, but there are a few pressing issues that need to be dealt with and trade dealine is coming so I feel the need to flex my “archair GM” muscles. We need a couple of centre's with size that are over 50% in the circle and that seems to be a tough order t...
WarHero writes...
OHL LIVE BLOG: 67's vs. Petes at 7:00 PM - Feb 4th, 2011
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Welcome to the LIVE Game Blog for tonight’s game versus the Peterborough Petes!
This is the 8th installment in a very lopsided season series in favor of the 67′s as far as the W’s are concerned. Last time out, the boys laid a 6 – 0 spanking on the Petes. That being said, I expect the Pete’s to remember that and use it as motivation to bring their “A” game ...
WarHero writes...
OHL LIVE BLOG: 67's vs. Knights at 2:00 PM - Feb 6th, 2011
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Welcome to the LIVE Game Blog for this afternoons game versus the London Knights!
What a difference a Shane Prince can make! His return to action on Friday sparked the resurrection of our first line, ultimately leading the team to a 6 - 2 victory over the Petes . Scoring was led by the first line with both Martindale and Toffoli finishing with 3 points each while Prince...
The Flames can't be stopped. They roll past the Sens 5-2 to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race. Come over to the Sports Roundup to read the latest on the home town heroes.
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/02/different-strokes-flames-and-sens.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
www.thesportsroundup.com
www.thecheckingline.com
Head over to The Checking Line for my latest post as the Islanders have acquired Al Montoya from the Phoenix Coyotes in the absence of Rick DiPietro and Kevin Poulin
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/ring-around-goalie
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
WarHero writes...
OHL LIVE BLOG: 67's vs. Otters at 7:30 PM - Feb 11th, 2011
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It’s Game Day folks and the playoffs are sure thing! Life is grand for 67′s fans!
In last Sunday’s game, our boys laid a goose egg on the London knights beating them 4 – 0. Petr Mrazek got the shutout for his 4th of the year and the winning goal came off the stick of Julian Luciani. Both teams played a very tight defensive game but Ottawa was able to expose the ...
4 video live right now
http://nyi247.blogspot.com/
NYI247 writes...
New Picture of Max Talbot after last nights game posted
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
http://nyi247.blogspot.com/
first pic on right. Check it out, Oh an I added the Pens fans right below it
Yesterday Spector stated that several teams were at the Oilers game presumably scouting out Oilers players. Assuming that’s the case, the teams being mentioned were the Wild, Lightening, Kings, Bruins, and Coyotes... Here are some potential deals that could be on the table.
[u][b]Los Angeles Kings[/b][/u]
Wayne Simmonds $0.8M + 1st Round Pick (current offer)
For
...
WarHero writes...
OHL LIVE BLOG: 67's vs. Bulls at 7:30 PM - Feb 18th, 2011
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It’s Game Day folks! In Wednesdays game, the 67′s won the first half of this home-and-home by a score of 5 – 3. After going down 3 – 0, ours boys exploded for 5 unanswered goals in the third. The offense was led by the Sean Monahan (2G,1A) and Cody Ceci (2A).
On to today …. A win tonight will help the 67′s get 2 points closer to winning the East Division. Th...
New blogger trying out the stuff. I'm a huge hockey fan and I may have some insight that could be interesting to some readers. Lets go to work.
The Ottawa Senators are in action tonight against the Florida Panthers. Two teams who have really shit the bed this season, it looks to be a great one...
Pfff.
Its hard to come by a Senators player who hasn't been mentione...
[quote=Rangers G.M. Glen Sather]A lot of people were interested in our young guys, but we didn't want to trade our kids... the goal was not to give up the kids.[/quote]
3:00 PM.
The trade deadline has passed yet for all intents and purposes the trade lines were dead for days. There will be no 1st line center in New York, not for now at least. No hopes for a miracle run...
WarHero writes...
OHL LIVE BLOG: 67's vs. Colts at 7:30 PM - Mar 4th, 2011
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It’s Game Day folks! In Wednesdays game, the 67's beat the Belleville Bulls by a score of 5 - 4. After going up 5 - 2 in the third, Belleville made it interesting by scoring 2 more to get within one but our boys were able to hold them off for the victory. The offense was led by the Sean Monahan (3G) and Thomas Nesbitt (2A).
On to today …. A win tonight will help the...
WarHero writes...
OHL LIVE BLOG: 67's vs. Rangers at 2:00 PM - Mar 6th, 2011
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It’s Game Day folks! In Friday nights game, the 67′s beat the Barrie Colts by a score of 5 – 2. With the score at 3 – 2 heading into the third, 67's captain Thomas Nesbitt made it 4 - 2 off a sweet pass from Shane Prince. Sean Monahan would later add Ottawa's 5th goal to ice the game. The offense was led by the Sean Monahan (2G,1A) and Shane Prince (2A).
On to t...
Drew Stafford used an individual effort early in the overtime period to give the Sabres a 3-2 win over Minnesota.
The Sabres finished off an impressive weekend with two monumental road victories over the Flyers and the Wild. Despite giving up a two goal lead in the second period, Buffalo battled and came away with the victory.
With the win, the Sabres moved past Caro...
WarHero writes...
OHL LIVE BLOG: 67's vs. IceDogs at 7:30 PM - Mar 11th, 2011
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It’s Game Day folks! In Wednesdays game, the 67′s beat the Kingston Frontenacs by a score of 5 – 1. Kingston took a 1 - 0 lead late in the first but Tyler Toffoli tied it with just over a minute remaining. From there, our boys never looked back, and went on to score 4 more unanswered goals. The offense was led by the Tyler Toffoli (2G) and Thomas Nesbitt (1G,1A).
...
hi all,
i just have something to get off my chest. facebook.com is supposed to be a place where you are can speak your mind about everything and anything. not so! i was an admin for a page called addicted hockey fans united. as i said in my introduction, i am anti-bettman, always have been and always will be. i spoke my mind about him, the coyotes and hockey in the so...
thanx to tsn.ca for this
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/jetsmeter/
WarHero writes...
OHL LIVE BLOG: 67's vs. Majors at 2:00 PM - Mar 13th, 2011
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
It’s Game Day folks! I am super excited!! Could this be a preview of the Eastern Conference Final?
In Fridays game, the 67′s lost to the Niagara IceDogs by a score of 3 – 2. Niagara took an early 1 – 0 lead in the first but Sean Monahan tied it before the period was over. After a scoreless second, our boys took the lead in the third off a goal by Captain Thomas ...
Despite playing their second game in less than 24 hours, the Sabres didn’t show any signs of fatigue. The Sabres saluted the fans before leaving the ice, pointing their sticks toward the No. 7 banner.
The Sabres honored Rick Martin as all the team wore stickers on their helmets. Ryan Miller got a day of rest on Sunday as Jhonas Enroth received the start in net against...
I just posted this elsewhere and after reading phi1671's blog I decided to post it here as well. Great post phi1671, I agree with everything you said. While this may seem more like a rant the underlying theme is the same and I'm glad there are a lot of people speaking out about what is going on in the NHL this year. However it is unfortunate to see the mixed reactions by t...
It's been a couple of weeks since I've posted something, but lately, all the talk about trying to minimize the number of head shots in the NHL has intrigued me a little bit.
Since Zdeno Chara's hit on Max Pacioretty last week, the league has been under scrutiny by many outside organizations for not coming down hard on the towering Bruins defenseman. But, I agree with...
The Flames playoff chances were severely hurt this past week with three straight losses. Come on over and check out my first ever exclusive TCL(The Checking Line) blog.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/newman/calgary-flames/flames-playoff-hopes-fading#comments
Also be sure to head over to The Sports Roundup to here the latest podcast! We talk mostly Flames and throw ...
With GM meetings underway in Florida this week, the main concern around the league right now is headshots and the growing rate of concussions. My personal opinion on this hot topic is the league should have a no tolerance policy and the player should be handed a heavy fine plus a minimum of 7 game suspension. Along with the player being punishied I believe the team should ...
It’s that time of year again. The snow begins to melt, the leavesbegin to grow and in the NHL the dash for the final few playoff spots intensifies as teams look to scrap together as many points as they can in the few remaining games of the NHL regular season and the Buffalo Sabres are no exception.
With Sabres up by two points over the Hurricanes for 8th place the Sab...
After the Islanders played the Penguins a couple of months back in what is now labeled the fight night on Long Island, I wrote a blog about the game, the outcome (suspensions), and Mario's feedback afterwards.
While I am not a big time journalist or even a well known blogger I still feel that I have a responsibility to my readers to be fair when it is called for.
A...
Since Martin Biron’s departure, the Buffalo Sabres have struggled to find that ideal backup goaltender to support franchise star Ryan Miller. The first replacement, Ty Conklin, wasn't with the team for even ¼ of a season and played only three games.
Next up was Jocelyn Thibault, who was about as wildly inconsistent as they came and lasted just one year. Patrick Lalim...
Perhaps the biggest game of the season for both teams, Carolina and Buffalo were set to battle for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. However, earning at least one point would have propelled the Sabres to 7th.
Jhonas Enroth’s 35 saves were a career-high as he led Buffalo to a 2-1 overtime victory at the RBC center in Carolina.
Chris Butler scored his...
As many know, no NHL franchise has faced more adversity on and off the ice in the past years than the Phoenix Coyotes. Riddled with financial loss, poor ownership and a poor on ice product, many wondered when the Winnipeg/Los Vegas Coyotes would exist. The past two years however have shown a remarkable turn around in the franchise by two great men, GM Don Maloney and Head ...
The common myth around the NHL fan these days is that the only way to rebuild is to tank as low as you can for as long as you can to gain top-5 picks and young star prospects. Well I ask you, why is this not the case for current teams like the Coyotes, Kings, Islanders and Blue Jackets to name a few? There is usually only two answers. One, you picked the wrong player in th...
This is actually a draft of a 2,500 word college report, so I did not post it on the MYHB site. However, if you want to attempt to read it, it is available [url=http://hockeybuzzalex.blogspot.com/2011/04/concussions-proposal-to-nhl.html] here. [/url]
Hope to have a real blog up sometime this week.
Go Ran-Guhs
Edit: Just saw I got 100+ hits on that link, wow guy...
The follow up to my first prospect blog where I judged the top-20 1st round prospects drafted during the Gretzky era in their development. This will be a short piece because of Maloney only drafting three guys in the first round so far.
2009: New management in place and a new outlook on drafting. Or was there? Maloney once again took a risky pick so early by drafting Ol...
This season has seen a resurgence in elite goaltenders, many with great stories. Tim Thomas has gone from the most overpaid one hit wonder, to the top statistical goaltender in the league. Pierre Gauthier was five seconds away from being hanged for trading playoff hero Jaroslav Halak and retaining Carey Price. Price has put together an all-star season and is the reason why...
A hat-trick by Thomas Vanek would prove to be the difference as the Buffalo Sabres ended the Tampa Bay Lightning’s hopes for a South East division title with a 4-2 victory.
The Sabres started the game off as planned as they applied tremendous pressure on the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. The chances piled up early and none better than when Stafford picked up a juicy r...
JohnFergusonJr writes...
Game Day Phoenix Coyotes : 80, The Pacific War
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As the season wraps down for these two clubs both are fairly secure in their hopes for a playoff berth. Both the Coyotes and Kings are tied for 5th/6th in the West with 96 points apiece. A win for the Coyotes will seal their playoff dreams and guarantee them a spot. This will be a big game for the Desert Dogs as they will be facing a beaten up LA squad missing their supers...
So what does it take to be a NY Rangers fan? What sets us apart from every other fan in the universe? Anyone can say they are a dedicated fan…its easy to sit on the couch and watch 70+ games a season, and if you have a DVR u can actually watch every minute and every play from the entire season just like I have for the past 13+ years. So what makes that different...
The Detroit Red Wings finished up their regular season with a win over the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center yesterday, solidifying their place as the number 3 seed. Next up will be the Phoenix Coyotes, a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Quarterfinals. The season series between these two clubs was split down the middle, with both teams grabbing two out o...
The Detroit Red Wings put to rest any doubts of their ability to perform in the post-season with a convincing win over the Phoenix Coyotes at Joe Louis Arena last night. It seems that the regular season woes are definitely behind not only the Red Wings players, but also the fans as well. The team has been booed off the ice on more than one occasion for the first time in ...
The Detroit Red Wings completed their sweep of the Phoenix Coyotes last night in Glendale by a score of 6-3.
A team on the ropes is always known to put their best foot forward, in desperation or otherwise, and the Coyotes did just that. Despite what has come to be a customary early lead by the Red Wings, Phoenix kept the score tied for the majority of the night, and ...
PickDaddy writes...
Is The NHL Going to Fine this Clown? - Bryzgalov on Winnipeg
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Ilya Bryzgalov has once again opened his big mouth an insulted the entire country of Canada.
For those who didn't see this guys interview with regards to Edmonton, please see this link:
[url]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8531230620351334232#[/url]
That was a few years back when he was in Anaheim. This time around he has now picked on Winnipeg. Saying ...
...
PickDaddy writes...
Seabrook Back in Lineup; Canucks Game Plan: HEAD SHOTS
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Rumour is that Seabrook will be in the Hawks' lineup tonight.
With two players coming off concussion I am sure we all know what the Canucks' game plan will be. They will probably keep doing what they are doing - taking cheap shots, trying to hurt people and specifically targeting the heads of players who have concussion issues.
Game 3 - Torres went directly after Sea...
I thought the Canucks played a good game. Chicago didn't look that great to me. They looked tired, but they got the job done. Good teams know how to win and win games they don't deserve to win, and that is exactly what they did tonight.
Cup winners win games they don't deserve to win, simply because they know how to win.
Thought both goalies excluding Luongo played a...
With the goaltending of Ryan Miller and Jhonas Enroth, they helped provide some great saves during the regular and post-season. Compiled, is the top 10 saves from this past year, Starting with #10 then working down to #1. Enjoy!
Click here to check out the countdown:
[url]http://sabreshockeycentral.com/2011/05/20/saves-of-the-year/[/url]
On Tuesday, (May 31st, 2011) the NHL announced that the Atlanta Thrashers were being bought by True North and that the new owners would be relocating the franchise to Winnipeg, Manitoba.
As someone who has enjoyed NHL hockey for more than three decades, having a franchise in Winnipeg is something I am strongly in favor of. But will it work this time?
Like a lot of ot...
icedog97 writes...
2012 Realignment: Detroit, Nashville, Columbus...Phoenix?
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Yesterday Gary Bettman indicated he expects realignment for the 2012-13 NHL season.
With the new Winnipeg franchise playing in the Southeast during 2011-12, a distance of almost 1,300 miles from where the Thrashers played, realignment of this franchise is a necessity.
Since we aren't even finished with the Stanley Cup Finals for 2010-11 yet, I am a little surprised t...
The Philadelphia Flyers have started the summer a little early. As Per CSNPhilly.com the Flyers on Tuesday acquired the rights to goalie Ilya Bryzgalov from Phoenix for forward Matt Clackson, a third-round pick in 2012 and a conditional draft pick.
Bryzgalov went 36-20-10 for the Coyotes last season with a 2.48 goals against average a .921 save percentage and seven shut...
LeafsFanInOTT writes...
Overlooked? 2011 NHL Entry Draft Preview: Shane Prince
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As the 2011 NHL Draft nears, hockey fans salivate at the thought of tomorrow’s stars donning their team’s jersey.
Obviously, the big names are out there for everyone, even the casual hockey fan, to see.
Ryan Nugent Hopkins, Gabriel Landeskog, Adam Larsson, the names that have been talked about from day one of this season.
There are guys such as Jonathan ...
Has it came to the time when Canadian hockey fans have forgotten what the sport is really about?
Canadians are the first to say they love the game of hockey more than any other. Then why can't we show it then by having a little class!? Or at least a little more class than rioting, burning police cars and vandalizing parts of downtown Vancouver. This morning on CNN.com ...
Brent Burns and his Zoo will be moving from the snowy confines of Minnesota to the sandy paradise of California but he will be leaving the Wild with a kings ransom of picks and players for his services.
First off I absolutely love this trade. Chuck Fletcher took a highly skilled, albeit erratic player in Brent Burns on an expiring contract and turned him into a Top 6 fo...
This is my first post on HockeyBuzz, so most of you probably won't see it, but I just wanted a place to speak my mind about Philadelphia hockey. So here it goes:
Not many people were shocked when the Flyers shipped out Jeff Carter. The same can't be said for that of Mike Richards. Two of the Flyers elite players gone, but Paul Holmgren did know what he was doing...
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...
Ok, I've finally gathered my thoughts since the huge trade from a week ago. Every blogger is mentioning it over and over, but everyone knows what it is so I won't repeat myself nor make you read it again.
There are a lot of things I want to go over with Free Agency and there are some things I'd like to clear up for what seems to be a "pissed off" Flyerdom.
First we�...
Check out my latest post at The Checking Line discussing the New York Islanders rally that will soon be held to encourage people to vote yes in favor on August 1st to build a new Nassau Coliseum!
http://t.co/7BFHgix
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
With Jhonas Enroth signed the Buffalo Sabres should have their first steady backup since Martin Biron and Ryan Miller split the twine post lockout. Gone are the days of Brodeur, Fuhr, Belfour, or Kipprusoff playing 70-75 games a year. Recent history has shown goaltenders wearing down over the course of the season and faltering in the post-season. In fact only 3 goalies ...
Matthew_Steven writes...
Blockbuster Deal? Parise to Panthers...Update/Rumor
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Latest from Matthew_Steven
According to my sources, Panthers recordingly have interest in Zach Parise. What I am hearing is that the Devils really like Huberdeau and/or Gudbranson (3rd overall pick in 2010 draft.) Devils seem to also be interested in David Booth and Jacob Markstrom (Panthers #1 goaltending prospect.) With this possibly being Brodeur's last productive se...
Read my latest post at The Checking Line as I put aside the political hogwash that takes up most of the talks in regards to the Islanders arena as I share my reasons for voting yes on August 1st.
http://thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/were-all-islanders-reasons-voting-yes
-Rob McGowan
Follow me on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
[img]http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/262528_208887039160652_105210636194960_519018_1739599_n.jpg[/img]
Why so sad Flames fans?
The Flames have been reflecting on their season, hitting the golf course and lamenting on what could have been. It’s obvious to most Flames fans the Flames would have run rough shod over the playoff competition, especially the Canucks. Especially them.
Now we look forward on the next season but I sense from most of you a pessimism in lieu o...
It is the time of year where NHL professional prognosticators and armchair fans begin making predictions. Actually, that time of year starts when the season ends for most. However, in August, we now have an idea of what most teams will look like after the dust has settled on free agent frenzy and most players are signed where they will start the year. As an Edmonton Oil...
The Flames signed Scott Hannan to a one year deal worth one million dollars. It's an okay signing but the Flames are stuck once again doing the exact same thing. Come read more here:
http://www.thesportsroundup.com/2011/08/scott-hannan-new-flame-but-same-old.html
Newman
twitter.com/TSRNewman
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 9 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Dallas Stars Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[/b]
...
Over the Next 30 days I will be Previewing each of the National Hockey League Clubs heading into the 2011-12 season starting from the Anaheim Ducks. Day 12 of the series belongs to the official AarifDeenReport Florida Panthers Preview.
Please resort to myhockeybuzz page for previews of teams falling before this team.
[b]Follow me on Twitter @AarifDeenReport please.[...
jeffgreig writes...
Fantasy Hockey is back!!!! Offering up any advice I can
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
If there is anyone out there having trouble putting together a decent team through a draft let me know and I would be happy to help out. Good luck to all you fantasy nuts out there!! Peace and most importanly GO LEAFS GO!!!
Last week saw another long time Flame being traded away. This time the name heading out was the veteran center, Daymond Langkow. After a successful comeback to hockey, Langkow finds himself on the Coyotes, being traded by the Flames for Lee Stempniak.
Langkow, one of the leaders in Calgary's locker room, recovered from a freak injury which saw him out of action for ...
Last week saw another long time Flame being traded away. This time the name heading out was the veteran center, Daymond Langkow. After a successful comeback to hockey, Langkow finds himself on the Coyotes, being traded by the Flames for Lee Stempniak.
Langkow, one of the leaders in Calgary's locker room, recovered from a freak injury which saw him out of action for ...
hi im a new blogger and wanted to start with something sabres related. Thanks to Terry Pegula's buyer mentality the sabres have a situation that we havent seen in years, competition. Every year the returning players of the sabres have been able to come back and reclaim their previous role on the team because there was never a surplus of players, young and mid-aged that we...
Preseason predictions and rankings are about as much a guessing game as the weather. Until we've seen 30+ games of regular season action it is impossible to accurately predict how teams will perform. Yet it seems that as much as I cringe when I read everyone elses' rankings and playoff projections, I can't resist following suit. I'll try and check back on these mid-sea...
To Whom It May Concern,
This is a forewarning to all GMs, owners, and fans who enter the perils of "Player Holdouts". Prepare yourself for a giant letdown. History dictates the player will always win. Not the team or it's fans, the player and his agent always win.
Why does this hold true?
The player has the least to lose. He may not have a salary ...
It's a familiar refrain at hockey games. Fans get restless. They want action. For a lot of them, action equals shots, therefore, that familiar refrain.
"SHOOT!"
A simple - and logical - school of thought would be that the more you shoot, the more chances you have to score, the better chances you have to win the game. Interestingly, with the Philadelphia Flyers, at le...
I've heard a lot of bad talk about Ryan Miller. I think that he may be one of the most undervalued players in the NHL. I've heard a lot of predictions about how Jhonas Enroth will be taking on a larger role in Buffalo, and Miller may be out the door soon. I think this would be one of the biggest mistakes made for the Sabres.
Ryan Miller is as good as the team around hi...
Okay.........so is it too early to call this a must-win game for the Jets ? I know its a long season but I just have this sneaky suspicion that the Jets really need to win this game. If they are able to pull off a win, they should have some confidence heading back home to post a sure loss to the Pens.
[b]The whole new Jets vs old Jets thing[/b]
This has absolutely ...
Hmmm.......where do I begin ?
Well, lets start with Bryan Little shall we ? He was.....well......brutal. He was eventually replaced on the top line with Mark Scheifele who was better tonight than he has been in the last two games. Still, there was absolutely no chemistry between any line tonight and although the entire team wasn't very good, some of them were just pl...
RickDixon writes...
Upon further review..........they were still really bad
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Okay, so I thought a good night's sleep might change my attitude towards the way the Jets played last night. I got a solid 7 hours of shuteye and watched the game again, all while doing my best to remain completely and utterly emotionless.
That lasted less than a minute.
Despite the fact the Jets had quite a contingent of home-town fans who had travelled all the way...
Iban3z writes...
Flyers Homestand Recap/ My take on NHL Shots to the Head
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The first ten days of hockey have wrapped up and I couldn’t be happier with what I’ve seen from the Philadelphia Flyers. As of Saturday the Flyers are 3-0-1. Seven points out of eight is a good start for a team that is just gelling together.
The Flyers faced the Western Conference champions, the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday and played a pretty solid game. The only...
Welcome to my first Northeast Numbers column of the season. We're only a few games into the new year, but I figured it was the right time to take our first glance at the numbers and gauge these teams.
[u]Records:[/u]
Toronto[b] 3-0-1[/b] (3 ROW)
Buffalo [b]3-1-0[/b] (3 ROW)
Boston [b]2-3-0[/b] (1 ROW)
Montreal [b]1-2-1[/b] (1 ROW)
Ottawa [b]1-4-0[/b] (0 ROW)
...
hunsinator writes...
This is the kind of week the Flyers need to dominate
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Four games in and seven points to show for their effort. Not a bad start at all for the Philadelphia Flyers.
Now comes a week in which expectations for similar results are high, and rightfully so.
Thanks to Pittsburgh's hot start and loaded schedule, the Pens lead the Atlantic Division with eight points (3-2-2). While they've cooled of late, and have a goal differen...
The past few games have been an interesting combination for Buffalo’s pride and joy. They’ve struggled at times, but have pulled 4 points out of 6 possible. So far, things look good. A little inconsistent, but good.
Carolina (10/14/11)
The arena was electric for the opening of the season, and the first game ever at the First Niagara Center. As I walked through t...
To make the playoffs, someone has to score goals for the Predators. Kyle Turris should be that man. Find out why.
http://www.centericereport.com/news_article/show/109976?referrer_id=352791
So if any Jets fans had any delusions that this club was going to make the playoffs, those thoughts should be completely gone after last night's loss to the Sens.
I know, I know, the Sens had a team meeting. Whoop-dee-doo. They are still a very bad hockey team and I challenge anyone in their right mind to prove me wrong.
Anyone ?
Bueller ?
Bueller ?...
So lets start by saying Hello, to my fellow bloggers.
This is my First Blog ever, so bare with me. Unfortunately for all you Vancouver Canucks haters, i am not one. I have been a fan for as long as i can possibly remember. Lets get down to business.
There is a lifetime of Luongo things that can and will be written, along with cody Hodgson, the twins production and al...
Most of the time I think a young player is pulling some serious BS by holding out and demanding a trade. I tend to think they've been getting bad advice or have egos the size of Manhattan.
In this case, I think Phoenix is really dropping the ball. Ever since Gretzky benched Turris for his first game in Vancouver even though he'd played up until that point, I kept an eye...
Lindy Ruff did say he would follow the "schedule" the goalies were given in the beginning of the week before the Philly disaster. So turns out Enroth gets the 4 x 6 tonight and Miller gets the cage in Ottawa tomorrow night. I think this is the right move here by the Sabres bench boss. He may not say he meant for it to go this way but none the less putting Enroth in toni...
With a number of teams struggling between the pipes I thought it would be fun to take a look at the goaltender market. I will look at each potentially available goaltender and the possibilities of them being moved this season. First up in a series of articles is...
Miikka Kiprusoff, Calgary Flames
We start off in Calgary where the Flames are struggling mightily and ...
andydrmm writes...
2 Games- 4 Points, A Good Hockey Weekend for Buffalo
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I went into this weekend of Sabres hockey rather skeptical after the past few performances of the team. Despite only losing by one goal in a lot of their games, it was not a accurate depiction of the game as a whole. Buffalo was not playing good hockey, and there was no reason to think this weekend would be any different.
However, 2 games and 4 points later, I was plea...
Sabres rebounded with 4 points over the weekend with a goalie duel win against the Flames on Friday and a exciting shootout win in Ottawa. To my surprise even though I would have done it that way, Jhonas Enroth played both games over the weekend and played well. He is now 4-0-0 with a 1.41 GAA and .952 SV %. I'll get to the Miller vs Enroth debate later. First I want t...
Who would have thought, just 12 days after starting the season with a pedestrian 3-3-3 record, the New York Rangers would transform their play from lukewarm to red hot.
Indeed, the club holds the longest active win streak in the NHL, and the best "last 10" record in the East with a 7-2-1 mark. The goaltending continues to be solid, but now the forwards are scoring and ...
The NHL All-Star ballot came out today. Much to my surprise (insert sarcasm), Sydney Crosby was on the list... despite having not played a single NHL game this season.
First and foremost, the players that are placed on the All-Star ballot are players that are having a good season up to this point. Keep that in mind as this blog progresses.
I find this strange, that...
Let's re-enact the plot from the seminal classic "Trading Places" with Eddie Murphy and Dan Akroyd. I have a full day ahead of me as the Sabres new head honcho and while the very confused Darcy Regier spends the next 8 hours trying to find my car keys and navigate the rough and tumble Jersey neighborhoods, I have some phone calls to make.
[b]8am- [/b]I just entered the...
There are very few things more irritating to true hockey fans than listening to an arena full of spectators screaming "shoot!" for an entire power play. But at this point, the Rangers need somebody to yell at them about being dead last in the league in shots on goal.
This is a team that manages to stay in almost every game, thanks to the defensive effort led by Henrik ...
Its official: Its been one of the wackiest quarters in NHL history.
After the most tragic summer in the NHL in recent memory, maybe even ever, we have indeed had quite the first quarter of the NHL season. The Minnesota Wild are 2nd in the NHL, The "revamped" Columbus Blue Jackets are in last (
Is it just me or does it appear the further the Habs sink the less commentary we get from the Habs Bloggers? They sucked the joint out in Anaheim last night and not a peep from any Canadiens writer. Eric, Kamal, Hindle...anyone?
I think the Habs organisation is sucking the life out of everyone involved....players, fans, now writers. I may have my most productive winter ...
With the Lightning off for a couple of days, I have time to sit back and enjoy some other hockey games. That being said, there’s always chatter and things going on in the Lightning world so I do my best to keep my readers posted. Here are some news and notes on the Lightning to begin December.
- Guy Boucher is really trying to push speed. An article posted today in...
As I write this article, I’m still debating what will happen due to the hit from Jordin Tootoo on, that’s right, Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller... Tough to say what will happen.
For those who missed it, Tootoo went into the Buffalo end, followed closely by Christian Ehrhoff. Ehrhoff poked the puck from Tootoo and had his hand on Tootoo’s back. Ehrhoff followed the pu...
We're just beyond the one third portion of the NHL schedule, and the divisional races are beginning to take shape. The Northeast Division is as tightly contested as they come as the entire division is separated by a mere 6 points. The next closest division races in the league are both 12 point margins in the Southeast and Pacific divisions. Here's where we stand in the ...
This story is becoming more and more familiar.
Despite rallying to erase a 3-0 deficit to tie the game late in the second period, the Chicago Blackhawks were unable to finish off a hard-working Phoenix Coyotes club in the shootout, losing 4-3.
Both Oliver Ekman-Larsson and former Blackhawk Radim Vrbata scored for Phoenix in the shootout, while red-hot Blackhawks ...
The Minnesota Wild have done better through 27 games than any hockey analyst or writer ever predicted. The Wild currently sit at the top of the NHL, boasting a record of 17-7-3, equaling out to 37 points. Everyone knows the Stanley Cup is not won in October or November, but for this franchise this is truly something remarkable. The Wild have not made the Playoffs in the la...
Last night the Wild defeated the Sharks 2-1. The goals were scored by Koivu and Bouchard for the Wild, Joe Pavelski for the Sharks. The win makes it the third 5 game win streak for the Wild this year, and extends their lead over the Blackhawks and Penguins as first overall in the NHL to 3 points. But that is not what the story was last night. The story last night was the N...
The Minnesota Wild have done better through 28 games than any hockey analyst or writer ever predicted. The Wild currently sit at the top of the NHL, boasting a record of 17-7-3, equaling out to 37 points. Everyone knows the Stanley Cup is not won in October or November, but for this franchise this is truly something remarkable. The Wild have not made the Playoffs in the la...
Well, Matthew Barry posted two blogs tonight. The first was removed and then there was a second one where he announced his retirement from this website. That one has also been auspiciously removed. What's going on here? If they need a new Kings blogger...here I am.
If Matthew Berry did quit, then I hope Terry Murray takes good advice and follows him out the door. A...
So, much to my surprise (insert sarcasm), I logged on to write a blog recapping the weekend, and again, Garth has amazed me with his... “wisdom”. Again, Enroth has seen better days, however goalies are as good as the team in front of them. Regardless of who is starting in net, the team in front of Enroth and Miller is pretty pathetic.
I didn’t get to watch Friday...
It was a bad week for the Rangers, which is hard to say with a straight face. But for a team averaging 1.4 points per game, a 2-1-1 stretch is hardly a success story. However, there are positives to take from the week that are more important than anything you can take out of a 4-0-0 stretch. This was the 3rd time the Rangers went on a two game losing streak. The previous t...
What a week it was for the Minnesota Wild. This past week the team played four games in seven days, all on the road, and all of them on the West Coast. Apparently the boys just love themselves that warm weather, because the Wild came back home with four wins. The Wild downed the Ducks, Sharks, Kings and Coyotes, and have a chance to sweep their road trip this Tuesday as th...
At least Buffalo got a point. However, they should have gotten 2 points and again, Buffalo displayed their inability to play 60 minutes of hockey.
Buffalo started out playing very well. Why? They had a fantastic forecheck. Their forecheck alone forced Ottawa to make turnovers in their own end, and Buffalo cashed in early. Despite the early deficit against the Senators ...
The magical mits of Patrick Kane provided the insurance tally to Jonathan Toews' game winning shoot out goal in capturing two points for the Chicago Blackhawks against the Minnesota Wild last night.
Kane put on a clinic with his dazzling puck dance, sending Niklas Backstrom into a spiral of confusion, as he put away the game winning goal to give Chicago the 4-3 victor...
Many positives can be taken from Minnesota's rise to the top of the league. Among those is the emergence of rookie blueliner Marco Scandella. Scandella is playing his first full season as a member of the Wild after spending time between the Wild and Houston (AHL) in the previous season.
The Montreal native was selected by the Wild in the second round (55th overall) of ...
Last week the Wild won 4 out of 4 road games, playing some of the best hockey they have played all year. What a difference a week can make. The Wild played three games this week, including a road/home back to back against the high octane Jets in Winnipeg and then the streaking Blackhawks back in St. Paul. The week ended on Saturday when the Islanders came to town to play t...
Rob McGowan provides a quick look at how some of the Isles top prospects have been performing so far this season
http://islanders.thecheckingline.com/blog/rob-mcgowan/new-york-islanders/isles-prospect-check-12192011
-Rob McGowan
http://twitter.com/IslesRM
http://twitter.com/TCLIsles
www.facebook.com/TCLIsles
cuppacoldtea writes...
Application For Post of General Manager of les Canadiens
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Dear Molson Family,
I am hereby informing you of my intention to apply for the post of the General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens. Although my experience is very limited, I plan to explain why I would be by far the best GM the Canadiens have had in the cap era.
It is difficult to truly know what the team would look like under my guidance over the last few years. ...
The Minnesota Wild are in the midst of their worst slump of the season. They have lost their last seven games, and have only scored nine goals in said games. The word I’m seeing thrown around the internet the most is “Regression,” and it is usually followed by some nasty words, some smack talk, and some praise for the Canucks. The Wild have seen their lead in the Wes...
I am not normally one to tell people who spend big money on attending an NHL game what to do, but I think booing Max Talbot in his return to Pittsburgh would be a poor choice. I believe this for a few reasons:
First is that the Penguins were not going to offer him anything close to market value. They had moved on from him. I think it was the right move for the Pengui...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Bolts/Canes Preview + HB Hotstove Response + Rumor Update
Posted Friday | Comments 0
It’s amazing how gratifying two wins can feel. After beating up on the Flyers and squeezing by the Canadiens, the Lightning close out this current three game home stand with a tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes. If there was ever a game the team wanted to play on home ice, this would be it. The Bolts’ problems haven’t been at the newly re-named Tampa Bay Times F...
I wasn’t going to write this... But after seeing what one of my counterparts once again has said, I feel a realistic viewpoint needs to be taken regarding Sabres hockey on this site.
“Decent effort against Ottawa. Yet again, not enough scoring in the end.” That’s from Garth.
What game were you watching?
As I watched the game from the First Niagara Center,...
Always enjoyed this semi rivalry, turco, Hull, Niewendyk, Guerin, Hatcher of the nineties, guys like Modano, Ott, Robidas, ect... have generally made this an enjoyable series. The current stars seem to be lacking a true identity, guys like Morrow and Ericksson are quasi stars, guys like Souray and Lehtonen are filler pickups, they look like they will be fringe playoff te...
Originally, I was going to write an all-out campaign piece for Jimmy Howard’s place in the All-Star game as well as Vezina trophy consideration, but it’s a little ironic that he had one of his, well, less-favorable performances against the Dallas Stars last night. He came away with the “W,” but I’m sure he’s not all that proud of it.
Everyone’s entitl...
The Nashville Predators d-man Shea Weber practiced without contact on Tuesday for the first time since suffering the injury on December 23 2011 againts the Dallas Stars, Says ESPN.
The 26 year-old had skated with his teammates in a public practice in Franklin, but Nashville coach Barry Trotz maintains that there is still not a realistic time line for when the Predators ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Poised to take on Senators + Rumor Response to Ek
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After a small trip down loser’s lane, the Lightning need to get back into the winner’s circle. Losers don’t make it too far in the National Hockey League these days. This season isn’t lost yet, despite a rather one-sided loss at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Currently, the Lightning sit in 12th place in the east. While it doesn’t sound pretty, take no...
vowswithin writes...
Thanks Canada for kicking me in the Nuts! + Flames vs Bruins
Posted Thursday | Comments 2
[img]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xAsxoR0MHHo/TLzh204kfnI/AAAAAAAAAW0/MOq6AVQoFBQ/s1600/i.jpg[/img]
WJC
Agony! Ahh that feeling of nostalgia. It was just last year that Canada found itself in a very similar place. And yes now it is official, Canada has lost yet another WJC (anyone who isn't first is a loser so lets not talk about the bronze game). I am now starting to k...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Anderson Shines as Sens Steal Two Points from Lightning
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Heading into the game against the Ottawa Senators, fans knew it was going to be a challenge to get the win. The Sens boast some great young players with a lot of skill up front. That said, I’m not sure people expected what we saw tonight. It was the Craig Anderson show as he singlehandedly stole this game from the Tampa Bay Lightning in heartbreaking fashion. Here’...
Again, I wasn’t going to write this until I saw another unrealistic view of the Sabres portrayed on here. Come back to us Garth...
Here’s his excuses for why Buffalo is sinking fast, and again, I quote
1. Lack of scoring
2. Injuries
3. Goaltending
Ok, I can go with the lack of scoring part. I know, me agree with him? I’m scared too.
However, I come bac...
Many people in the hockey community feel that the amount of concussions suffered by NHL players is a serious issue – and it is. It is no secret that the number of reported concussions in the NHL has been on the rise over the last number of years compared to the past. This can be attributed to a number of things. First, the knowledge of concussions and the symptoms have i...
I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I want to really build on something that Garth wrote about before.
I back Miller as well.
Let’s be honest about how hockey works. How to assess blame in hockey? On average, 12 forwards are dressed a night, 6 defensemen, and 2 goalies, 1 of which starts. Now, throughout any given night, numerous defensemen can make bad brea...
And that, folks, is how good teams battle through adversity.
Despite missing star scoring winger, Patrick Sharp, to injury, the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Minnesota Wild last night with a determined 5-2 victory at the United Center. With the win, Chicago moves back into first place with 57 points in their division.
The Blackhawks overcame this adversity with sub...
RickDixon writes...
Strong effort earns shutout in 2-0 Jets win Over Sens
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
After not being able to provide themselves any real scoring chances in a lackluster effort against the Devils, the Jets appeared to come ready to play tonight against the Sens.
Chris mason was not really tested all that much but did provide solid net-minding late to keep the Senators off the board during an inevitable late-game push.
The reason Mason had such an easy...
Well isn't this a nice turn of events. We are reaching the season's halfway mark and not only is Ottawa still competitive, they are a force. The Senator's 25-16-6 record has brought fans to the edge of their seats during every game and their excitement is only matched by the players themselves. While the 613 was trying to convince itself it was excited about a lengthy rebu...
Well isn't this a nice turn of events. We are reaching the season's halfway mark and not only is Ottawa still competitive, they are a force. The Senator's 25-16-6 record has brought fans to the edge of their seats during every game and their excitement is only matched by the players themselves. While the 613 was trying to convince itself it was excited about a lengthy rebu...
Doug Armstrong is going to be earning his paycheck the rest of this calendar year. Besides trying to figure out what to do about possibly picking up a player for the playoff push, he's going to have to figure out a lot of contract situations for next season. My gut tells me that he won't make any deals the rest of the way this year. Andy McDonald is coming back (hopeful...
According to Lindy Ruff he is the one that needs to start leading this Buffalo Sabres team. It sounds to me like the leadership in that locker room is at question, and that this team is obviously not all on the same page.
What Lindy Ruff needs to do is go all Ted Nolan on this team. All bets are off now, this team is spiraling out of control. If Lindy Ruff is going to l...
The first half of the season is officially in the books for the Minnesota Wild. The Wild are currently 22-17-7 through 46 games of this season. Had I been told before the season started that the Wild were going to have 51 points and be 1 point out of 8th in the Western Conference with 51 points heading toward the All-Star break, I would have been satisfied. And though it m...
Game two of this Western Conference back-to-back road trip is tonight with the Bolts taking on the Phoenix Coyotes. As a result of the quick turnaround time, the Bolts will probably be a little bit tired in Phoenix. The key for the Bolts is to remain disciplined as they search for their 3rd win in a row. If history means anything, the Bolts come into this one having won...
As I sit here in my Taro Tsujimoto jersey (hats off to those of you who get the reference), my thoughts have been stuck on the Sabres and when they will pull themselves out of this slump they are in and get back into playoff contention. I’ve been looking at the conference standings all morning, and slowly another question has been trickling into my mind...
[b]CAN[/b] ...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Hold Off Coyotes for Huge 4-3 Victory
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The Lightning won back-to-back road games for the first time this season. It was a welcome change for a team that is just trying to claw its way back into the playoff race. Tonight’s two points will go a long way in ensuring the Bolts have a chance at the post-season. Roloson was superb, the offense did what it had to and the defense held its own for the most part. I...
The next two nights are going to be tough. Detroit forgot how to lose at home and the Penguins have been on a tear as of late. These are two legitimate teams playing some great hockey. The Blues are going to have to play their butts off to win both of these games.....and here's how they're going to do it.
Jeremy Rutherford reported via Twitter this morning that the l...
If for no other reason the St. Louis Blues need a top notch goal scorer is to get more calls I'm all for it. I am sick and tired of watching the "best" teams get every single freaking call all night long. Malkin falls down twice, Blues get penalized twice. Brad Stuart drops his gloves first, Chris Stewart gets 2 minutes for the instigator and a 10 minute misconduct. It...
Well the All-Star Game is upon us this weekend. Does anyone else think it would be wildly successful if it took place in Las Vegas?
It's hard to tell if the Coyotes have overachieved or underachieved to this point of the season. A mixture of both seems fitting. Rather than analyze the first 50 games, let's look at the future of what the Coyotes need for the playoff p...
Well the All-Star Game is upon us this weekend. Does anyone else think it would be wildly successful if it took place in Las Vegas?
It's hard to tell if the Coyotes have overachieved or underachieved to this point of the season. A mixture of both seems fitting. Rather than analyze the first 50 games, let's look at the future of what the Coyotes need for the playoff p...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Poised to Make Run Down the Stretch
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
After winning 5 games in a row, the Bolts have a lot of fans, including myself, wondering if there’s a chance of seeing post-season hockey in 2012. Not only was tonight’s win important, it was also a confidence booster. Often times, the first game back from the all-star break is pivotal for a team. Hopefully that’s the case for the 2011-12 version of these Tampa B...
A Wild Week 1/29/12-2/4/12
The Wild finished up this week going 1-1-1, holding on to 8th place in the Western Conference by 2 points over Dallas. This week we saw the Wild lose a heartbreaker to the Nashville Predators, defeat the Colorado Avalanche due to a Nicklas Backstrom shutout, and drop a shootout to the Dallas Stars. On Tuesday the Wild will finish up their 3 ga...
Wild Musings 2/9/2012- Judgment Day
Tonight the Wild were handed a 5-2 loss by the Northwest leading Vancouver Canucks. The game started off very promising, as Dany Heatley scored his 18th goal of the season 13 seconds into the game. Unfortunately that was about it for the Wild offense. The Canucks dominated the next 30 minutes of the game, scoring 4 unanswered goals. ...
mcefalu writes...
Blackhawks Still Looking to Right Sinking Ship in Phoenix
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
It seems like eons since the Chicago Blackhawks have won a game, particularly on the road. They will hope to add a much needed two points to their total in the standings tonight when they're hosted by the Phoenix Coyotes.
After last night's defeat to the San Jose Sharks, the Blackhawks are now winless in their last seven games. A slump such as this comes at possibly the...
"Look for the Devils to do something this trade deadline."
Take on a four million dollar contract next season for a player who's worth about one million, given he's an awesome -6, scored zero goals, and racked up a whole 14 assists. Any defenseman can put up fourteen assists in the NHL, all they have to do is ice the puck out of the zone.
Those are about the same nu...
Crash21 writes...
Waivers best route for Sens? Or back to the well in COL?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Ottawa seems to be slightly ahead in their own "3 year" plan, so does it make sense for Bryan Murray to start making deals? Quick answer, No.
Murray was on Ottawa radio this week (before the Anderson injury) and said that in a perfect world he would like to add a depth defencemen and a forward. Things have obviously changed since that radio appearance, and Murray needs...
Michael_Stuart writes...
Lightning Ready to Take on Senators in Key Tilt on Tuesday
Posted Monday | Comments 0
The Eastern Conference standings are so tight right now; a win, tomorrow against the Ottawa Senators, is a must. At the time of writing, the Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets had not dropped the puck in their incredibly important tilt. With a Jets loss today and a Lightning win tomorrow, the Bolts would be sitting in 8th spot. That's right folks, barring the outcome of t...
I think that the most entertaining part of tonight’s game against the Bruins, was watching Boston miss the empty net a few times in the past 2 minutes. Poor play and questionable decisions, and Buffalo has now dropped 2 of their last 3.
Buffalo made the mistake of playing the wrong goalies, in the wrong games. Carolina is the game that Enroth should have started in....
[b]Welcome to another blog by Aarif Deen. For more blogs, and EVERYTHING HOCKEY 24/7, follow me on twitter @NHLAarifDeenRep. Enjoy the read![/b]
Well here we are fellas. It has been eight years to the day Todd Bertuzzi shocked the entire hockey world by pulling off one of, if not, the biggest cheap-shot in the history of the game. Young, promising, gritty forward St...
Quick hit here on my end...
I spent tonight in Rochester watching the Amerks, and plan on having an update on them by the end of the weekend. I'm also going to do a recap of tomorrow nights game against the Wild on Sunday.
That being said, tomorrow night, I will be in Buffalo hopefully watching Buffalo squeeze into 8th place (and maybe even tie Ottawa with points)....
How many of you remember the Norris Trophy voting of 2008-09? I'm sure the people of Washington and Boston do. To refresh the rest of you, Zdeno Chara won a stunning upset over Mike Green in the Norris voting that year. In that season, Green had a higher plus minus, 23 more points (46% more), and 12 more goals (63% more) while playing in 12 less games. Will Erik Karlss...
Last June I wrote the following blog about realignment. In it I included some comments concerning the Coyotes and a move to Quebec. I thought I would re-post it now because it seems that it's relevant given the news about the new arena being built in Quebec....and I think only 4 people read the original posting of it...
__________________________________________________...
It’s easier just to write something new than try to respond to comments. First off, thanks for all the readers. It is always appreciated (negative one’s included). These are all opinions that are written on here, and we’re all entitled to them, and yes, I do read everyone's comments.
I, in good conscious, can’t blame injuries for the poor results this season. I...
The Penguins and Flyers are old adversaries.
Over the last couple of years, the battle had seemed to simmer down.
This season, the rivalry has been renewed.
When the Flyers took two players into their fold that have special places in the history of the Penguins’ Stanley Cup winning teams: Jaromir Jagr and Max Talbot – you could almost feel the hand of fate as ...
The overtime loss the Penguins endured to the Flyers last night is painful to think about.
When your team leads 3-0, after one period, you EXPECT them to win.
Even after giving the necessary consideration to the way the Flyers have previously battled back from 2-0 deficits to the Penguins this season, the first period lead seemed like something the Penguins couldn’...
Waking up today and realizing that last night's 8-5 loss to the Flyers was NOT just a bad dream is enough to ruin your morning.
Realizing that the loss has your favorite team down 2-0 in the best of 7 series is enough to ruin your day.
Understanding that the team needs to win Sunday - or they will be facing an insurmountable 3 games to ZERO series deficit - is enough...
Nascar........... I cold not care even a little but about... but car crashed.... OOOHHH... let let at my PVR.
This is a time honoured sentiment. Violence, usually mindless, will get our attention faster than a hole in one, an honest QB sack and even that most exciting play in hockey.... the.... the... what was it again? Penalty Shot?
So my point is: How do Ame...
One area that is often a hot discussion is the NHL points system, specifically the awarding of a "loser" point for losing a game in overtime or shootout. Only in the NHL can you get rewarded for losing and too often a team with less wins than another will have more points. Teams should be playing to win but often they play not lose, get at least one point and then hope l...
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...
I don't usually write a blog that simply mentions another blog but this seems to be very appropriate.
Tim Panaccio's latest:
[url]http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Tim-Panaccio/Flyers-React-to-Elimination/2/44345[/url]
A bunch of comments from the Flyer's players and coach but the things they say, about how different the two series were, are very telling.
The most ...
Conference Final Observations
-Let the 1994 comparisons between the Rangers and the Devils begin. Martin Brodeur is the only remaining player from either of those squads still on the same team. Officially dubbing the Eastern Conference Finals the Penn Station Showdown, but Ghosts of Matteau works too.
-Much is going to be made of Henrik Lundqvist’s dominance agains...
"Diving." When you think of diving in the NHL, you think of the Vancouver Canucks. Now, in watching the Western Conference finals, Phoenix goalie Mike Smith has been acting like he has been shot whenever someone comes near his net. Smith's play has been outstanding in the first two rounds, and is the only reason Phoenix has made it this far, but the way he is acting in the...
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 ...
I have been chomping at the bit now for about two and a half years and finally did something about it today. I was at one point in my life a paid hockey writer. Not paid very much mind you, but monthly deposits were being sent to my Paypal account. I had the glorious task of being a staff writer for Hockey's Future. My main beat was the Minnesota Wild. Think about that for...
I was reading comments idly on a blog today, and I read the most ridiculous thing: a Calgary fan claiming Justin Schultz was basically there's. Wrong. Justin Schultz quite simply is going to a place where he can be successful, play, and play on a good team soon. Which rules out Calgary. He is going to sign with a. a team where he already knows one or several players (Toron...
Last season, when the Ottawa Senators still had Brian Elliot and were struggling throughout the year, goaltending was a major weakness for the Sens. Robin Lehner was seen as the goalie of the future as he was playing incredibly well, leading his team a Calder Cup Championship. At the trade deadline, Craig Anderson was acquired in a swap for Elliot, and goaltending seemed m...
As I sat watching the NHL Draft tonight, I realized after Tampa Bay selected Slater Koekkoek tenth overall, that the Ottawa Senators would have a chance to select an extremely gifted player that many thought would not make it that far. In the four picks prior, I knew Ottawa would have a choice of Filip Forsberg, Mikhael Grigorenko, Radek Faksa, Zemgus Girgensons, Cody Ceci...
If you, like most of us hockey fans out there, have been left scratching your head about some of the Blue Jackets’ off-season moves you’ve come to the right place. Finally, Scott Howson explains exactly why he’s been stocking up on number 2 or 3 goalies. After announcing the free agent signing of Curtis McElhinney, Howson took time to clarify.
...
In the first cheer-worthy move of the day, the Wings have brought back Mikael Samuelsson. Again, I’ve already said that I liked Monster’s signing, but he’s more of a stocking stuffer since I expect Joey MacDonald to put up a serious fight for the number two gig. Okay, so this guy is probably a stocking stuffer, too, but let’s call him a fan favorite. I liked Sam...
Happy 4th of July everyone. I’ve been waiting and stalling on writing this in hopes that there’d be more to look at. However, I’m going to play the card that’s been dealt to myself, and the fans of Buffalo.
First, let’s look at the signings for Buffalo to this point. John Scott, 6’8”, 270. Perhaps he can play defensive line for the Bills as well. There is ...
I’ve been thinking about this past season for the Sabres. Namely how and why things went wrong (if someone says injuries, I’m going to scream). I do really like the new players that Buffalo has brought in, and I’m anxious as to what will happen next. But my question is, will it matter?
I like the additions so far, and I get the feeling that there’s more in the w...
[i]“I gotta be honest with you. At this point, I don’t care. Move me … because it’s just tough going to the rink every day knowing that if something goes wrong, you’re going to be the guy moved.” - Bobby Ryan[/i]
Interesting enough, he's clearly on board with being dealt to another team. And why not the Ottawa Senators? A team that is one 4-time 30 goal scor...
[i]“I gotta be honest with you. At this point, I don’t care. Move me … because it’s just tough going to the rink every day knowing that if something goes wrong, you’re going to be the guy moved.” - Bobby Ryan[/i]
Interesting enough, he's clearly on board with being dealt to another team. And why not the Ottawa Senators? A team that is one 4-time 30 goal scor...
[i]“I gotta be honest with you. At this point, I don’t care. Move me … because it’s just tough going to the rink every day knowing that if something goes wrong, you’re going to be the guy moved.” - Bobby Ryan[/i]
Interesting enough, he's clearly on board with being dealt to another team. And why not the Ottawa Senators? A team that is one 4-time 30 goal scor...
[i]“I gotta be honest with you. At this point, I don’t care. Move me … because it’s just tough going to the rink every day knowing that if something goes wrong, you’re going to be the guy moved.” - Bobby Ryan[/i]
Interesting enough, he's clearly on board with being dealt to another team. And why not the Ottawa Senators? A team that is one 4-time 30 goal scor...
[i]“I gotta be honest with you. At this point, I don’t care. Move me … because it’s just tough going to the rink every day knowing that if something goes wrong, you’re going to be the guy moved.” - Bobby Ryan[/i]
Interesting enough, he's clearly on board with being dealt to another team. And why not the Ottawa Senators? A team that is one 4-time 30 goal scor...
[i]“I gotta be honest with you. At this point, I don’t care. Move me … because it’s just tough going to the rink every day knowing that if something goes wrong, you’re going to be the guy moved.” - Bobby Ryan[/i]
Interesting enough, he's clearly on board with being dealt to another team. And why not the Ottawa Senators? A team that is one 4-time 30 goal scor...
[i]“I gotta be honest with you. At this point, I don’t care. Move me … because it’s just tough going to the rink every day knowing that if something goes wrong, you’re going to be the guy moved.” - Bobby Ryan[/i]
Interesting enough, he's clearly on board with being dealt to another team. And why not the Ottawa Senators? A team that is one 4-time 30 goal scor...
dresecondyear writes...
Are the sabres better after offseason moves so far?
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
I was just thinking to myself about this. Only time will truly tell but just for the heck of it lets debate this.
Offseason acquisitions- John Scott, Steve Ott, Adam Pardy, Nick Tarnasky,
Departures- Derek Roy, Jochen Hecht, Brad Boyes
The players that were brought in without a doubt play a more rugged style of game, but do they add enough skill to boost the sabr...
This is my first blog so here goes nothin'
[b][u]Mike Gillis' Plan[/u][/b]
I just thought I would put this down on "paper" to see what the team would look like this year if Gillis had his way over the next few weeks so here goes:
SEDIN/SEDIN/BURROWS
BOOTH/KESLER/DOAN
HIGGINS/ARNOTT/RAYMOND OR HANSEN
LAPIERRE/BJUGSTAD/KASSIAN
GARRISON/EDLER
BIEKSA/HAMHUIS
T...
[b]For everything hockey - 24/7 news updates, scores, humour, blogs, and everything else in between, please follow me on twitter at https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind.[/b]
We are now currently just a few days into the most horrifying month of the year for the entire hockey world. Seriously now, August definitely is the worst time to be a hockey fan. Free agency has die...
I finally found out that the Sabres minipacks were going on sale right before my wedding. Just one more thing to stress about the week I lose my freedom (kidding!!!).
Traditionally, My fiancé (soon to be wife) and I go in on a minipack with my parents. While we would like to get season tickets, it’s tough not living in Buffalo. However, we’re always watching the ga...
The NHL doesn't have a lot going on right now that isn't related to the CBA negotiations of the impending lockout. The meager free agent pickings have been reduced to virtually non-existent, the playoffs are a black-and-white relic of the past. So what are hockey bloggers left to do? While instead of weighing in with my opinion on the BOG vs NHLPA clash, I'll write what I ...
The NHL doesn't have a lot going on right now that isn't related to the CBA negotiations of the impending lockout. The meager free agent pickings have been reduced to virtually non-existent, the playoffs are a black-and-white relic of the past. So what are hockey bloggers left to do? While instead of weighing in with my opinion on the BOG vs NHLPA clash, I'll write what I ...
Today I'm going to venture away from my usual niche of statistics and into the mysterious and compelling realm of prediction. That's right, my usual calculator gives way to a crystal ball, my mathematical approach gives way to voodoo. So I'll tell you what I see the standings being in the Northeast during the gap between regular season and playoff hockey. Let's start.
1...
Whether many read this blog or not I felt compelled to put my 2 cents out into the Blogging Universe regarding the collective bargaining situation between the NHL and the PA.
First of all, I believe anyone deserves to get paid when they put in the effort and make the sacrifice to succeed. I believe in fairness and goodwill. I don't believe people should be punished fo...
Let me just start by saying that I'm not an expert on the lockout. My understanding of all the technical aspects isn't crystal clear. I don't religiously follow the daily back and forth between the two sides. I don't have any insider telling me when and how the labour dispute will be settled. I'm not going to pretend that I do.
I do know a fair bit about the fan's menta...
The comments from the media over the last several days following the swapping of proposals between the NHL and NHLPA would leave many fans to think a deal is oh-so-close, and that a slight massaging of details will have the 2012-13 season finally underway in a few short days. The reality, however, is that the two sides are still quite a ways apart – and no amount of che...
If you've played Texas' Hold 'Em, you probably know of this following situation.
You're holding onto a pair of natural kings in your hand and one of the three cards revealed is an ace. You're looking at the snarky guy across the table and he's the type of guy that always weasels out every hand and bluffs to take everyone else's money. You KNOW he doesn't have the Ace,...
understanding about how the proposals compare, the better. The one thing that has been sorely missing from all of the talk, though, has been the possible flaws in each side’s proposal and whether new problems are created.
Let’s rewind to August, 2005. The NHL and NHLPA had finally signed off on a new CBA, the 2005 Entry Draft had been held, and the free agent fren...
Can somebody explain to me why the National Hockey League is allowed to negotiate a collective salary rollback? Do they not believe, as most all people do, that all contracts should be honored as signed? How would the owners react if Comcast/NBC reneged on their pact with the league? I cant imagine they would be very happy. It is because I believe this practice to be unfai...
As things stand on November 14, it’s hard to feel any kind of optimism about the NHL and NHLPA reaching any kind of a deal to salvage any part of the 2012-13 season. In all honesty, it should have been predictable – but way too many people put way too much faith in the ability of both sides to compromise. Some famous guy once put out a definition of insanity; some of...
Last night, I was pointed to a [url=http://www.startribune.com/sports/blogs/179740001.html]blog entry from Michael Russo at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune[/url]. In that posting, Russo states that he has copies of exhibits put forward by the NHL in discussions with the NHLPA illustrating the gap that really exists between both sides.
Based on the exhibits Russo shows, th...
Thanks to unnamed sources, I've obtained an exclusive transcript of tomorrow's meeting between the NHL and NHLPA. The following is a rush version; the full version will be available tomorrow.
[b]Bettman:[/b] We're still insisting on a 50/50 split of HRR, starting immediately, with limits on contract lengths, variation in salary by year.
[b]Fehr:[/b] We're still insist...
As we all await (some eagerly, some for morbid curiosity) news of how the latest round of negotiations between the NHL and NHLPA have gone, I thought I'd discuss an oft-mentioned point in both the 2005 CBA and this year's CBA's discussions: the Players Share of HRR.
Many people have asked why various items aren't included in HRR, ranging from game-used merchandise to p...
[url=http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=48072&post_id=14164]I wrote a post last month[/url] that talked about how the media was incredibly optimistic that because the NHL and NHLPA were meeting, a deal could be close at hand. At that time, I didn't buy it because the two sides were too far apart on key issues. Fast foward about 4 weeks, and it's deja vu: the ...
Suffice it to say, I was shocked like everyone else was when news came out that talks had broken down between the NHL and NHLPA yet again. After hearing from some of the media about how progress was imminent and a breakthrough might be at hand, discovering that the NHL had yet again dismissed the NHLPA’s graciousness was … what’s the word, predictable?
The proble...
Chip McCleary writes...
Unfounded Optimism, III - Maybe the Final Chapter
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Well, here we are yet again – another round of the media proclaiming success and happiness was imminent, and yet another round of reality rearing its ugly head to stomp on all those dreams. Predictable, really – and yet, some people just can’t help but make themselves giddy hoping for things to happen, no matter the ultimate cost.
Myself, I’m thrilled that talk...
The lock-out is over, NHL hockey is back, one thing remains as it did before the lock-out, P.K. Subban is still un-signed. Should P.K. be signed at all costs?
P.K. Subban is one of the NHL`s biggest mouths, a taunter if you will, he is also one of the league`s best young defensemen, a good hitter, got better defensively as he replaced Andrei Markov for 65 games last y...
That sound you may have heard over the last few days, as NHL teams have hosted their first games, is the collective sigh of relief coming from all associated with the League, as it appears that the fan interest (so far) is fully intact. The threats of boycotts, both physical and financial, have to this point been just that, threats, and haven't translated into reality. Hoc...
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...
I’m getting to the point where I’m having a difficult time starting these blogs. Yes, the season is still young. Yes, a lot can still happen over the next 42 games. But there’s one problem with all of this.
We have all watched this style of play from the Buffalo Sabres before.
I saw Buffalo do this last year, and the year before that. There’s been elements ...
It been a season of highs and lows already, and we're just in 10 games. With the biggest additions of Larry Robinson and Jim Johnson, the special teams have been off to a blazing start. The PK sits at 4th best in the league while the PP (that seemed unstoppable) is still at a reasonable 8th in the league. While outscoring their opponents 28-12 in the first 7 games, the Sha...
Hello there! So this is my first attempt ever at writing a blog about anything. Let's see how it goes.
Perhaps an introduction is in order? I've been watching the Coyotes play hockey since I moved to Phoenix in 1998. The first hockey game I ever went to was a playoff game the Coyotes were hosting against the San Jose Sharks. I had never been to any game with so much inten...
The Coyotes were defeated today by the Nashville Predators 3-0.
It was the kind of game through the first 2 periods that both teams would be comfortable playing any day. It was very defensive with almost no real big threats on goal. There really is not much to say about those first two periods because neither team really grabbed the momentum and a lot of back and forth...
Emotion is a huge part of the game of hockey, more so than any other sport. That is the aspect of the game that draws in the fans; the intensity, devotion, and sacrifice. The ups and downs, the ebbs and flows. The excitement and the despair.
To an extent, the fans reflect the emotion of the game. We scream, yell, and shout. We sit on the edge of our seats, hoping and pr...
At 6-6-2, the Minnesota Wild have started the abbreviated season with another mediocre start despite the hype regarding their off season acquisitions.
The issue for the Wild this season has been their lack of offensive output. At first all their offense was coming primarily from the 1st line. The Parise-Koivu-Heatley combination combined for 21 points in their first 5 ...
Before anyone starts reading this, I have to add that this is not a rumor. This is strictly opinion, and I have no hard facts backing this up. I will state stats on various players, and that’s the only fact that’s here.
I keep hearing trade talk surrounding the Buffalo Sabres. Yes they won last night against the Bruins. Too bad they can’t play them all year round...
We can talk all day about how great it was that Buffalo bounced back. We can talk about that phenomenal save that Miller made on Neal. We can look at how the Sabres gave the Penguins a serious run for their money today. I personally am going to choose to look at this...
[b]Buffalo lost.[/b]
Oh no, don’t say “They came close”, don’t say “They played their b...
Tonight the Coyotes hosted the Calgary Flames, who just came of a hard fought come from behind victory last night against the Dallas Stars.
The Coyotes were looking to take advantage of that fact when they were coming into this game… and take advantage they did. In less than a minute they grabbed the lead with a rebound goal by Keith Yandle. I got to feel for Calgary...
[b]Why You Should Pass on Being Giroux's RW[/b]
Actually a joke as many players would kill to play with such an elite player but this year G's right wingers have been having some serious bad luck. First Hartnell breaks his foot and now earlier this week in an intense rivalry game with the Pens, Matt Read tore rib muscles and is out for 6 weeks. Injuries in general are pla...
This is a good opportunity to look at the Coyote’s season thus far and what I perceive as their playoff chances. They are currently on a 4 day rest before taking on the Edmonton Oilers tomorrow.
As it stands, they have played 16 games and 18 points to stand at 7th in the Western Conference as I write this. So how does this compare to a full season and the pace of las...
The Phoenix Coyotes took on the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames on back to back nights this weekend. I will be pretty brief in my explanations of the games because I did not see enough of them to give what I believe to be a high-quality analysis. Also, I am not a huge fan of writing a lot after losses because sometimes there is not much positive to say.
First off, t...
The Phoenix Coyotes are a team that have earned the label as a low scoring trap team by many people’s standards. However, there is more than what meets the eye when it comes to the Coyotes.
Looking at the standings right now before they take on the Wild, they sit 9th with 21 points. What is surprising to some though may be that they have 54 goals for and 51 against ...
Tonight, the Phoenix Coyotes played against the Minnesota Wild and fell short of trying to tie up the game late on. With a final score of 4-3 for the Wild.
The first period, the possession and play was dictated by the Coyotes. However, the Wild scored 2 goals on 4 shots to give them a 2-0 lead going into the second period. The first goal was a defensive breakdown by th...
Tonight, the Phoenix Coyotes played against the Anaheim Ducks in the first of three consecutive games against the Ducks. Anaheim played last night so the Coyotes had that advantage going into the game.
The first period started off poorly for the Yotes when the Ducks scored less than a minute into the game. Andrew Cogiliano scored from the slot when the Yotes lost a boar...
Tonight, the Phoenix Coyotes played against the Anaheim Ducks again for the second out of three consecutive meetings. It was déjà vu all over again… so to speak.
I will not recap the game in the same manner as last time because it pretty much went the same way. The Coyotes gave up a lead to the Ducks, then battle back for a lead of their own. THEN, they give up the ...
The trends that this years version of the Toronto Maple Leafs have exhibited so far are interesting ones. The team has a great record on the road and a mediocre one on the road. They also seem to be winning the "should win" games, something that they have not been able to do in the last few years. The trend that is a major concern to me is their inability to show up in the...
The Phoenix Coyotes played the Anaheim Ducks in their third and final game of a three game series last night. Overall it was not a good performance by the Yotes. They seemed to lack any heart in the game and looked slow and sloppy. Now for a quick recap!
The first period was all about the Ducks. They dominated the play while the Coyotes got absolutely no offensive press...
Last night, the Phoenix Coyotes played against the St. Louis Blues in their second game in as many nights. After losing to Anaheim 2-0 the previous game, the Yotes were looking to have a solid rebound game against a banged up Blues squad. Unfortunately for Coyotes fans, the Blues had their way with the Coyotes last night. The final was 6-3, but it wasn’t even that close ...
I’ve been asked a lot what moves I would make if I were GM for the Sabres. So, I’m finally putting this blog together after much thought. I’m basing my philosophy on one of my favorite movies, [i]Miracle[/i]. For those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s the Hollywood version of the 1980 Miracle On Ice.
About 10 minutes into the film, you see tryouts for the 198...
The Phoenix Coyotes looked to start off the second half of their season well tonight in a meeting against the Dallas Stars. Coming into the game, the Stars have had a couple of good games and great offensive numbers since February. The Coyotes came into the game having dropped 2 games in regulation.
The first period showed that the Coyotes players took the coaching mes...
The Phoenix Coyotes took on the Los Angeles Kings last night at Jobing.com Arena in the second math up between the two teams this season. The Kings were coming off a victory over the Flames the night before.
The first period was all Coyotes pretty much. It was clear that they took advantage of their two day rest while the Kings suffered from their back to back game. Th...
I apologize for the brief moment of silence recently. I was battling some illness this week and I’m finally feeling back up to par. So in getting back into this, I figured I’d delve into the trade deadline, and what the Buffalo Sabres approach should be.
I’ve seen a lot of trade rumors circulating this team. Emphasis on rumor. I don’t put much stock in these th...
I'm starting to wonder... how good could this team be if they had a PP that could score goals? They've gone from a team that couldn't score a 5 on 5 goal to save their lives to a team that can't seem to find any way to score with an extra skater or even two extra skaters. They've now scored 4 or more goals in 4 of their last 8 games and scored a season high 5 last night ...
The Phoenix Coyotes took on the Columbus Blue Jackets looking to try to improve their standing in the Western Conference and stop the Blue Jackets point streak.
This will be a quick recap as there was NO scoring in this game. The game was a back and forth affair with good team defense from both sides. The Coyotes managed to get more shots on the Blue Jackets… but many...
Well the Wild offense seems to finally be figuring things out and not a moment too soon. They've scored 4 or more goals now in 5 of their last 9 with again a new season high of 6 goals yesterday afternoon against the Avalanche. They'll need to keep turning up the offensive heat in the coming weeks as the schedule starts to get a lot deeper against teams that are categori...
I don't even know where to begin when it comes to the Sabre's power play this season, I mean as a Sabre's fan, I am no stranger to a poor and streaky power play, but what the hell is going on here? The Sabre's are dead last in the NHL converting just 13 of 108 opportunities, while also allowing a league leading 5 short handed goals. I could deal with a bad conversion ...
So…The Coyotes have had a five game losing streak dating back to the start of their road trip on Thursday the 14th. There are a couple of reasons this team has started to struggle besides the tight schedule and lack of practice time that I see. The three main reasons are their desperation, execution, and accountability.
Desperation- The Coyotes have shown a lack of d...
Last night, my wife and I were out to dinner after a day of errands, and we began discussing the Buffalo Sabres and the trade deadline. Over dinner, I laid out a revamp for the Buffalo Sabres. Long story short, Buffalo has a terrific opportunity in front of them right now.
And Darcy Regier at the helm to get it… [b]Yeah right[/b], won’t happen.
Regier is the indi...
2 weeks ago, I wouldn’t have thought that the Buffalo Sabres would lose to the Panthers, Lightning, and Capitals, and then beat the Penguins, Senators, and Devils.
It’s like we’re in opposite land or something. Not that I’m complaining, but it is nice to see the Sabres beat some good teams for a change.
There seems to be something different about this Sabre...
Don't silence the boo birds
For years now we have paid thousands of our meager incomes to pay the salaries of this mediocre group of hockey players. Although I do understand that players, like Steve Ott, are frustrated because the booing is demoralizing to the young players and the veterans. I also feel the need to tell him to shut up and play hockey. He has been a pol...
When the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres meet at First Niagara Center Friday Night the Buffalo Sabres will look to do something they have attempted three times so far this season and have failed to accomplish. That which has eluded them all season is four wins in a row. This team may not make the playoffs, but one has to believe that they may have turned a corner. Afte...
Now I dont want to get people upset by thinking that all this is Ryan Millers fault. I will be the first to say that Ryan Miller has been the victim of bad breaks and a bad team playing in front of him at times. He is far from the reason The Buffalo Sabres lost to the New York Rangers last night and definitely not the only reason we are missing the playoffs again this seas...
Now I dont want to get people upset by thinking that all this is Ryan Millers fault. I will be the first to say that Ryan Miller has been the victim of bad breaks and a bad team playing in front of him at times. He is far from the reason The Buffalo Sabres lost to the New York Rangers last night and definitely not the only reason we are missing the playoffs again this seas...
Well, we finally got to the end of this season. I have 4 words to say as the Sabres season comes to a close.
[b]Thank God it’s over. [/b]
There’s not many things that went well this season for the Sabres. It’s pretty painful thinking back on it. Let’s take a look at the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Buffalo Sabres 2013 season.
All stats I use in this...
After an [i]exhaustive[/i] search for a head coach, the Sabres have named their man. Ron Rolston will remain behind the bench for the Buffalo Sabres in the upcoming years. However, some individuals seem to be up in arms about this.
I don’t know what all the fuss is about.
Let’s look at this team that he had to coach. They weren’t exactly a team of all-stars. ...
My friend once told me:
"The Penguins dive more than any other team in the NHL. Worse, they seem to get those calls! What is going on!?"
I always thought he was crazy. But then, I started watching the game objectively for myself. Here's what I found.
The Penguins, are diving. Left, right, center. Game 4 was almost completely decided by the refs. Here is m...
If I were the Buffalo Sabres General Manager. I know that Ryan Miller, at 6.25 million this year, wants out and is frustrated with where the team is at. Knowing that I have a young goal tending duo in Jhonas Enroth and Matt Hackett with huge upside, I am calling every team in the top five particularly Colorado. I realize that Colorado will most likely never give up the fir...
Oh yes according to Elliote Friedman Tim Thomas may try and attempt a comeback to hockey after taking a year off for personal reasons. Thomas may not return to the NHL but instead go to Europe, maybe Finalnd where he spent 4 seasons playing for Jokerit, Karpat and HIFK. Another option in Europe will be the Swedish Elite league or the KHL, Thomas played 23 games with AIK in...
I figured, since I keep hearing trade rumors about the Buffalo Sabres goaltenders, it was about time to address it. Buffalo has a huge issue when it comes to goalies, but I think it’s a good issue;
They’ve got a LOT of goalies in their system.
As I’m sure a lot of you have figured out, I’m going to be focusing on Ryan Miller and Jhonas Enroth. I’ll also st...
Well, the weekend of doom, I mean draft weekend is upon us. Sorry for the doom comment, being a Sabres fan, you kind of get used to it being a difficult week/weekend (especially with Darcy in charge). There are certain does and don’ts with this draft/free agency/trade period. Personally, this is how I would handle things were it me.
Let’s address the don’ts first...
[b]Ilya Bryzgalov, 33 - Philadelphia[/b]
Contract: $51.0m/9yrs
Buyout: $23.0m/14yrs
This contract is the definition of what the power of having a union can do for you. For most people who are fired or let go they are lucky to get severance and even if they do, that severance is almost nothing to kick back on and retire early with. Meet Ilya Bryzgalov.
The epitome o...
Just gonna be a short blog for all who are wanting a update to what's happening in the lightning world. This past sunday the lightning walked away from the draft with 2 great prospects, they are Jonathan Drouin and Adam Erne. Drouin has a great shot at cracking the lightning lineup next fall. While Erne could be 2-4 years away from the big league. On Monday the lightning...
It’s been a while since I have put up a blog post. Mostly because there was not much news on the Coyotes during the playoffs and I wanted to wait until the lease agreement was settled with Glendale. Now that the whole deal is done (for now), here is a little review on the Yotes’ draft and start to free agency!
This is going to be a long blog. Each of these deserves t...
Erik Haula is coming off a great stint with the University of Minnesota. The Finnesotan finished off his collegiate career with 124 points in 114 games. After the Gophers were eliminated from the Frozen Four, Haula joined up with the then Houston Aeros for 11 games. In five regular season games he tallied 2 points; he continued in the playoffs by notching a goal and an ass...
In Minnesota being a sports fan and supporting the local franchise requires a healthy dose of skepticism. Each year no matter the sport, there exists grandiose offseason expectations of the personnel decision makers tasked with adding players to existing rosters. On July 4th, 2012 in what has been described as the most important free agent signings in Wild history, both Za...
The Buffalo Sabres season is upon us once again. This time, no lockouts and no stalling. 27 days until the preseason begins, and 44 days until the first game of the year in Detroit. There are still a lot of questions on who is going to play and who is going to make the roster. I will be evaluating the roster for the Sabres and giving you my take on who will play w...
Brandon998 writes...
Why James Reimer Will Be Number 1 This Upcoming Season
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
The next Maple Leafs season is fast approaching, with only 42 days until the season opener, and a mere 26 days until the preseason, we keep wondering who will be our number one goaltender and be in goal for us throughout most of the season. Here's why Reimer will be number 1, while Bernier is yet again going to take the backup position.
Bernier, with his 1.88 GAA, and 9...
I could not wait any longer, and I believe that the situation will remain the same. With two days until players begin reporting to Buffalo, and three days until training camp begins, the Buffalo Sabres' goaltending position is solid. Even with all the speculations of Ryan Miller being traded, Miller is still a member of the Buffalo Sabres. So this is what I have fo...
We’re officially less than 2 weeks away from hockey season starting. Buffalo Sabres hockey starts with a lot of huge questions and there really aren’t a lot of answers. The roster is slowly getting trimmed down, and the next thing we know, Buffalo will be taking the ice at Joe Louis Arena for their opening game against the Detroit.
While there are a lot of concerns...
Many users have already written about the Scott/Kessel ordeal, here are some of the most important facts to keep in mind before stating your opinion on the matter:
- Scott was on the ice already during the Tropp fight and stayed on the ice
- Carlyle put Kessel out on the ice, knowing Scott was already out there
- Scott was going to fight whoever was put n...
Nucker101 writes...
The Torts Effect: His System & The Effects Of Shot Blocking
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[u][b]The Torts Effect: His System & The Effects Of Shot Blocking[/b][/u]
Well all know that John Tortorella isn't afraid to speak his mind and seemingly has a fetish for shot blocking, but how about we actually do a little more research before just labelling him based on what he's most famous or infamous for. Will the Canucks really be more defensive under his watch co...
After what seems like forever, a new season for the Buffalo Sabres is finally here. I don’t need to tell you what everyone is saying about the Sabres chances this season. Right now, many of you may agree with those saying Buffalo doesn’t stand a chance. To be honest, I don’t see Buffalo as being cellar dwellers in the Eastern Conference.
There are several questio...
There are 2 games in the books for the Buffalo Sabres. 2 games, 2 loses. To be honest, it hasn’t looked pretty despite the close scores. Buffalo made it look close last night against Ottawa, but a lapse in the dying moments cost them at least a point. As predicted, Ryan Miller keeps Buffalo in games, to give everyone that glimmer of hope.
The opening 2 games of the s...
The Ducks have started their 5 game homestand with a 2-0 record. They absolutely destroyed the New York Rangers 6-0 in their home opener and followed that up with a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators on a night that saw the Mighty Ducks fly again.
I won't say much about the game against the Rangers. For whatever reason, that team was a mess this week. Between losing to th...
A wise man once told me that history is bound to repeat itself. This is the main reason why many Leaf fans have stayed loyal. For us, the loyal Blue and White army, we still believe history has proven we will move back into supremacy. Now I'm not here to begin blowing the horn of victory just yet. But, the masked men in between the pipes have begun to show us the capabilit...
Catch the highlights of the MINNESOTA WILD as they host the DALLAS STARS on October 12, 2013. Who will come out on top? Find out in today's featured game of the National Hockey League on EA Sports NHL 14 - play-by-play calling by Eric Munter.
[url]http://youtu.be/7dD0qr6H2do[/url]
In defeating both the Calgary Flames and Phoenix Coyotes, the Ducks improved to 4-0 at home and 6-1 overall this season. While neither game was the blowout of the previous 2 games, both were hard fought victories for a Ducks team that won't quit.
I was only able to watch parts of the Ducks-Coyotes game (yes, I do have a social life outside of hockey, yes, a part of me w...
Well just when you thought it was safe to check out the out bloggin page the long time lurker has put out an article. I am going to try and cover the Leafs a different way as well as one hot topic issue A night never blogged but people like me for hockey talks so I thought I'd put out a blog on my thoughts cheers and thanks for the reads.rnrnNow I know this is a HOT topic...
The past 24 hours or so have been busy to say the least for the Colorado Avalanche organization. The team that has started the season with a phenomenally surprising 10-1-0 record is looking to face their toughest challenge this weekend. And it won’t just be the Stars and Canadiens.
Goaltender Semyon Varlamov turned himself in upon hearing there was a warrant out for h...
I'll start this first ever blog by saying that I like Pat Kaleta. As a goalie for 14 years, the guys who throw their body around to block shots and give everything up on the PK tend to be my personal favorite teammates. It's no wonder him and Miller are such biffs.
However, it's about time he was sent down. Kaleta, another leftover of the Ruff era, does not have what i...
As I sit down for yet another episode of “Sufferin’ With the Sabres”, I look back on a week of rather painful hockey. Yes, I know that can be said for any week of Sabres hockey. The Sabres looked abysmal against the Rangers, and lost a tough battle to the Stars in Lindy Ruff’s return to Buffalo. Plus, the week started with the Sabres sending Thomas Vanek to the Isl...
The Minnesota Wild took a 4-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Sunday night, a night marked by Zach Parise’s first game against his former team. Last year’s lockout shortened season witnessed no interconference play prior to the Stanley Cup finals, so this was the first contest between the teams in nearly two years.rnrnParise had a strong game, firing three shots...
CaseyPSH writes...
Phoenix Coyotes Prevail On The Road Over Colorado Avalanche
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]By Casey Gagnon, Phoenix Sports Hub
E-Mail: CaseyPSH at yahoo dot com
Twitter: @CaseyPSH
PhoenixSportsHub.Blogspot.com[/b]
The Phoenix Coyotes needed players to step up Tuesday night in Denver to fill voids in the lineup. Forward Antoine Vermette and goaltender Thomas Greiss received the message loud and clear. Both played as solid a game one could ask for, an...
CaseyPSH writes...
Coyotes Resume Winning Ways at Home By Defeating Islanders
Posted Friday | Comments 0
[b]Coyotes Resume Winning Ways at Home With Victory Over Islanders
By Casey Gagnon, Phoenix Sports Hub[/b]
[b]E-Mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @CaseyPSH[/b]
[b]PhoenixSportsHub.Blogspot.com[/b]
Shane Doan felt well enough to make a brief appearance at practice on Thursday morning. He probably felt even better after watching his Coyotes teammates play that sa...
We're approaching the new year and the Flyers sit at 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 14-15-3 record. The inconsistency issues - aside from the mostly stellar play between the pipes for Canadian Olympic hopeful, Steve Mason - continue to plague this team in a year where there are fewer excuses than last season.
They have been one of the healthier teams in the leag...
Always Mighty writes...
Ducks win 10th in a row, extend home points streak to 16
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
After 3 days off, the Ducks were taking on the Phoenix Coyotes coming out of the Christmas break. It was a game that easily could have turned into a loss. The Ducks were 3-0 against Phoenix coming into the game, and earlier this season the Ducks handed the Coyotes their 1st regulation home loss this season. The Coyotes clearly wanted to exact revenge against the Ducks and ...
Dear Brian Burke,
You are a complete and total idiot. That is all.
Yours truly,
Oilersrule66
I don't hate the shootout that much, I find it just messes with everything. I like it because there is a winner. You can gloat to your friends that your team won in head-to-head match, but in reality it's just a dirty win. It's a skills competition, a cop-out to end the game early and have the crowd go home happy with a win, or content, knowing there team "at least" got a ...
switchfooty97 writes...
Let's get serious Sabres fans: Matty, Otter, and Mills
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Hockey Heaven,
I write to you out of respect. I believe you finally need a blog in which someone checks their spelling and grammar. Let's be honest, some things bloggers say are biased by what they want to happen to our team, not informative on what they think will happen to our team. For that reason, people go a little stir crazy and say things that are somewhat outlan...
Hello Hockey Buzz community! I would just like to take this first post heading into the Olympic break to introduce myself to the fans, devoted readers, and hockey enthusiasts.
A quick hockey bio; my favorite player ever is a left wing from Sainte-Catherine, Quebec, Guillaume Latendresse, I am a lifelong fan of the Minnesota Wild and like most devoted fans, was a fan bef...
So first off, this is my first attempt at sports writing, so please be constructive in the comments. Little bit about me, I’m only 13 and have had a passion to get into sports writing for a year or 2 now and I`m a die-hard Sens fan. I like to write about trade speculation, players "values", and other things like that because that is one of my favorite aspects of professi...
If you missed my first blog on the Ottawa-Buffalo trade rumour, it`s right here http://my.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?user_id=219486&post_id=15947
So in my last blog, I mentioned how Ottawa`s first priority should be a Top 2/ Top 4 defenseman, if there are any available. Obviously, this guy is gonna get brought in to play with Karlsson, as Jared Cowen just isn`t prov...
The longest week of many of our lives is upon us: the NHL trade deadline week. I've been checking twitter constantly, this site among many others, feverishly waiting for the first deal to go down.
I think many of us will be disappointed, particularly with the Penguins at the deadline.
The Penguins' ability to make a deal at the deadline has been crippled as a result...
Before I get started on this short writeup, I do realize the comments that have come out recently and that there's MAYBE a 1% chance of this actually happening.
I'm totally in favor of the Pens making a run at Kesler. Without a doubt he's one of the best two-way forwards in the game and has one of the most cap-friendly contracts given what he returns on the ice.
F...
This afternoon, WGR's Jeremy White has posted that Buffalo Sabres general manager, Tim Murray, "let slip" that he is discussing a deal with Ottawa Senators GM, Bryan Murray. No specifics on who it involves on either side but Sabre fans may want to review young players in the Ottawa organization. Tim Murray has stated that he is looking for young prospects amongst all the t...
This afternoon, WGR's Jeremy White has posted that Buffalo Sabres general manager, Tim Murray, "let slip" that he is discussing a deal with Ottawa Senators GM, Bryan Murray. No specifics on who it involves on either side but Sabre fans may want to review young players in the Ottawa organization. Tim Murray has stated that he is looking for young prospects amongst all the t...
“Winning is not a goal, it is a belief.”
Does that saying ring a bell? Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula said that in his press conference after he bought the franchise from former owner Tom Golisano.
At the time Pegula bought the team, he had faith in his general manager Darcy Regier and his head coach Lindy Ruff. They signed some free agents and made some trade...
cove48 writes...
Minnesota's Playoff Push: Why it will work... This year.
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Good evening Wild fans. I would like to re-introduce myself to the hockeybuzz community, given I have been extremely busy of late and am here to make my second blog of my tenure here.
The Lowdown:
The last two contests the Wild have played in have given them extreme confidence. If you have only seen the results of these two games, you might think otherwise. Thanks t...
Mark Stone. If you are a Sens fan, you`re gonna be LOVING this guy, maybe even as soon as next year. Stone holds a special place in my heart as he played for my local Dub team(the Wheat Kings). A 6th round pick in 2010, Stone is showing that he is an absolute GEM! After scoring just 28 points in 39 games his draft year, and his skating being compared to a beached whale(man...
The Phoenix Coyotes sent a major message to the rest of the league on Tuesday - don't count us out. Most analysts had already stamped the Coyote's ticket to the offseason. Why wouldn't they? The Coyotes have been playing with fire lately, particularly with their inability to play a full 60 minutes of hockey. After blowing leads to both Boston and New York, not to mention l...
Wild Fans, and NHL fans!
Stay tuned, I will be posting a pregame with thoughts about the Wild and their recent struggles and successes before the 9:00 p.m. central time start!
Go Wild!
Wild Fans!
It is game night in the city of Angels, and the Wild need to have a game like the had in the third period against the Coyotes on Friday. This game is key for the Wild to win to keep a comfortable lead on the Coyotes and Stars in the Western Conference Wild Card race.
A story for the ages.
The Wild can't seem to catch a break this year, which is Goalten...
Thursday April 10th 2014rnrnBreathe in, Breathe out.rnA Senators fan’s thoughts on what many are calling a disappointing Season.rnrn On Sunday, the 2013/2014 campaign will come to an end for the Ottawa Senators. This season came with great expectations, many of which were not met. From my perspective as a Sens fan, this season was Agony. We were constantly taunted with f...
Welcome to the National Hockey League! Where our inconsistencies make our league a laughing stock in sports!
The NHL are up to their usual antics of throwing random suspensions at players for their illegal actions during hockey games. It has been a reoccurring event for the NHL to be doing this ever since the Department of Player Safety was created.
The latest string...
Senate_Speaker writes...
Why Matt Cooke Deserves To Be Suspended Indefinitely
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
As the hockey world awaits the fate of Matt Cooke for his knee-on-knee hit on Colorado's Tyson Barrie, it is perhaps worth taking a minute to think about the legacy that Cooke's career has shaped over the past decade or so. Upon doing so, one may discern certain obvious patterns - the object of this post. Think for a minute about what that word 'pattern' really means, for ...
[img]http://www.montrealgazette.com/cms/binary/9633478.jpg[/img]rnrnrnThomas Vanek is a shooting star on the move. rnrnVanek played for three different NHL teams in the 2013-2014 season: The Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders, and Montreal Canadians. Vanek's combined effort for the three teams in 78 games played was 27 goals and 41 assists for a total of 68 points. In te...
Senate_Speaker writes...
Why the Ottawa Senators Should Not Trade Jason Spezza.
Posted Friday | Comments 0
NHL rumours are abound these days, particularly concerning questions as to whether or not the Ottawa Senators will trade captain Jason Spezza. Interestingly enough, the discussion here seems to be more geared toward when Ottawa might trade Spezza, with hardly any consideration of whether they even should trade him. Evidently the rationale behind this potential move is clea...
[url=http://victorygreen.wordpress.com]This article is from my Dallas Stars blog, "Victory Green". You can find more Dallas Stars blog entries as well as an upcoming weekly Stars podcast which will premier in the coming weeks.[/url]
Apparently the Dallas Stars aren't merely a hockey franchise, but ninja assassins when it comes to trades under Jim Nill. “Stealth-like...
B_Chapman writes...
Dallas Constructs 2nd Line in 1st day of Free Agency
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[url=http://victorygreen.wordpress.com]CHECK OUT MORE DALLAS STARTS CONTENT LIKE THIS ON "VICTORY GREEN", MY DALLAS STARS WEBSITE[/url]
[b]One of the few bright spots in the Ottawa Senator's 2013-2014 season, in which they missed the playoffs and ended the year 11th in the East, was the chemistry shown between Jason Spezza, and their trade deadline acquisition, Ales Hem...
[b]Rough week...[/b]
I want to start this note off by reaffirming my position on the Spezza trade. Personally I thought it was a disgraceful display of management by the Senators head office, though as a longtime Senators fan, I shouldn't be surprised. After all this is the same organization that decided to offer a contract to the giveaway artist Wade Redden instead of Zd...
The Leafs adding David Booth was a great success. T.O. needed another left winger, and snagged a decent one at a very modest price tag. Admittedly, Booth struggled to produce with the Canucks, but if he can reach the stats he found during his time with the Panthers he can be a dangerous player for the Leafs deep into their line up.
Reimer re-signing,especially with the ...
After the 2014 NHL Trade Deadline a lot of people (including myself) considered the St. Louis Blues to be favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Unfortunately their run in the playoffs didn’t even last one round thanks to their division rival Chicago Blackhawks.
The team finished sixth in goals scored during the regular season and with the loss of Ryan Miller, GM Doug Ar...
Earlier today Flyers GM Ron Hextall released a statement informing that defenseman Kimmo Timonen has been diagnosed with blood clots in his right leg and in both of his lungs.
Despite his decline over the last few years and finishing his career on a one-year contract basis, the 39 year-old d-man still plays a crucial role for the orange and black. Maybe even now more ...
stljam writes...
Brian Elliott is Rodney Dangerfield, he gets no respect
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Around a month ago, Blues coach Ken Hitchcock anointed Brian Elliott as the incumbent. It "is Brian's job, he's earned the right, he's improved every year, he's waited patiently...it's his turn." He further commented that "this is the first time Brian gets to carry the ball for a little while and I think you're going to see Brian play better because he knows he's going to ...
Re-posted to fix the formatting issues...
Many around St. Louis are scratching their heads regarding the defection of Vladimir Sobotka to Omsk of the KHL. While I won't claim to have seen this moving coming from a mile away, I can't understand why people are so surprised when they look at the situation from both sides' perspectives.
[b]The Sobotka Perspective:[/b] I...
stljam writes...
NHL to revamp the Draft Lottery. Let's hope it rewards wins
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Much has been written about the strength of the 2015 NHL draft class with Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel appearing to be the cream of the draft crop. You know the class or at least the cream of the crop must be something special when Sidney Crosby says that McDavid "reminds me of me". Is the strength of the 2015 draft class at least partially the cause of June's action b...
stljam writes...
NHL to revamp the Draft Lottery. Let's hope it rewards wins
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Much has been written about the strength of the 2015 NHL draft class with Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel appearing to be the cream of the draft crop. You know the class or at least the cream of the crop must be something special when Sidney Crosby says that McDavid "reminds me of me". Is the strength of the 2015 draft class at least partially the cause of June's action b...
Let's say, for arguments sake, that neither Thornton nor Marleau will be wearing a letter when the Sharks open the 2014-2015 season. Let's assume that they are 'passing the torch' to the younger players in the organization.
Who gets the letters? Let's look at the real candidates, and there aren't many.
Logan Couture
Joe Pavelski
Marc-Eduoard Vlasic
Brent Burns
...
[b]Follow me on Twitter @DailyNHLGRIND
A Glance Back[/b]
I don’t think anybody could have predicted the outcome of the brutally nicknamed metro-terrible division last season. Columbus impressed while the Capitals faltered. The Penguins took a dip in the playoffs while the Rangers surprised many after a rough start. Other teams sort of slotted right into their right...
This is my first time writing a blog and I have no background in writing whatsoever, so bear with me.
Once the season starts I plan to follow and write about the Ottawa Senators as often as I can. I'll be writing my honest opinion, knowing full well that it is no more educated than any of yours, so I welcome any opinions that differ from mine.
One last thing, I'm an...
Just a few quick hits for you Blues fans. It appears Chris Butler and Colin Fraser cleared waivers and that Brian Elliott will start tonight at the Scottrade and get two out of the last three preseason games.
Per JR, here is tonight's expected lineup:
Berglund - Backes - Oshie
Steen - Stastny - Lindstrom
Fabbri - Lehtera - Tarasenko
Mueller - Jaskin - Paajarvi (the...
AarifDeen writes...
Goalie Gains a Point – Avs Lose to San Jose Despite Solid
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
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Semyon Varlamov. That was the beginning, middle, and end of this 65-minute story.
The Avs lost their fourth overtime game of the season tonight by a 3-2 final. This one went all the way to the shootout. Despite the Sharks seemingly controlling the play for almost the entirety of the first two periods, the...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs Still Can’t Solve The Overtime Period, Steal a Point in
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
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The Avs remained winless both in overtime and in divisional play Saturday night when they lost a shootout to the St. Louis Blues. The Blues skated away with a 3-2 victory after holding a 2-0 lead early in the third period.
The Avs used their power play to tie the game before the third period even went to ...
In the era of the salary cap, a GM can't be judged based only on his players performance, sans them winning the organization a Stanley cup. Rather, each player selection whether it be via draft, trade or free agency, is judged based on the players performance relative to their own contract, to their peers and their contracts, and to the overall market place throughout the...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs End Winless Streak – Beat The Leafs in a Shootout
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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The Avalanche hosted Hockey Fights Cancer night and skated away with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Pepsi Center. The entertaining, fast-paced game was won after the Avs put a perfect three pucks past Bernier on three opportunities in the shootout.
Despite the fantastic pace on...
The NHL's next potential superstar could have a serious injury following a fight that took place on Tuesday night in Erie, Pennsylvania.
The Ontario Hockey League's Erie Otters are the league's best teams this season with a 16-1-0-1 record after 18 games this season in the OHL. Their top player on the roster, and potentially the top overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, i...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs battle for a shootout victory at Madison Square Garden
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Avalanche won its fifth game of the season in a shootout Thursday night after defeating the New York Rangers 4-3. It was their second straight shootout victory following two losses in the tiebreaker where they went scoreless on five opportunities.
Matt Duchene scored the first goal of the game and add...
It was not long ago the Nashville Predators were drafting #4 overall and again #11 overall. Things seemed to be on the down side in Tennessee, especially after watching their top two defenseman headed out. Ryan Suter signed a multi-year multi-million dollar contract with now division rival Minnesota Wild. Shae Weber signed a 14 year offer sheet with the Philadelphia Flyers...
AarifDeen writes...
‘Cardiac Kids’ are here to stay—Avs erase three goal deficit
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
It was Déjà vu in the desert Tuesday night for the Avalanche. Colorado won for the second straight game after Reto Berra was pulled and replaced by Calvin Pickard in the first period. They beat Arizona 4-3 in overtime despite surrendering three goals in the opening 10:53 of tonight’s game.
As miraculo...
AustinTyler writes...
Chabot Partly To Blame...? Defense......Taylor Hall
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Its only been a few days since Mr. Chabot joined the world of the unemployed, but am I the only one who can see a difference already? Watching the Oilers goaltending over the last two games, I have noticed a few things that really stand out. First off, the focus on the play is better than I have seen it all year. Both Fasth and Scrivens seem to have a renewed faith in thei...
AarifDeen writes...
Pickard plays spectacular as Avs come back to win shootout
Posted Friday | Comments 0
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The game clock had 8:16 remaining on it when Paul Postma exited the penalty box. The Avs had just failed to score on its second consecutive power play opportunity and were down 3-1 with nothing going for them.
Colorado scored two late third period goals after the failed power play attempts en route t...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
The Avalanche is turning a corner. With John Mitchell and Patrick Bordeleau both returning to the lineup tonight, the Avs are as healthy as they have been in a long time.
Colorado completed its second game of a three-game road trip tonight at the First Niagara Center and came away with a 5-1 victory. It w...
The Christmas break has had me thinking a lot about where this Blues team stands after 34 games. The 3-game losing streak was ugly. They gave away points like a 3-button coat at the Salvation Army. The 5-0 drubbing in Colorado was the icing on the cake.
I agree that this team is getting complacent, but every Blues fan has seen this before, many years now. These are the ...
The NHL has seen quite a few teams leave one city, relocate to another, and then years later, witness the former city land a new team. There are rumors, following the newest Rogers/NHL television broadcast deal, that an expansion franchise may be coming. Some think this could mean a new team in Quebec. Others think that there could be a second team in Toronto. If so, ...
AarifDeen writes...
Avalanche shake off a desperate Oilers team with a shootout
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
Colorado started the year off right in front of a rowdy Pepsi Center crowd. The boys in burgundy fought through a very quiet game offensively and came away with their fifth shootout victory of the season after defeating Edmonton 2-1. It was the first meeting against the Oilers this season and it comes while ...
Buffalo, NY
The Buffalo Sabres, currently 8th in the Atlantic Division with a record of 14-26-3 are down but certainly not out. At roughly the halfway point of the 2014-2015 season, Buffalo center Tyler Ennis and Coach Ted Nolan are confident that the team can still turn things around and make a run for the Cup this spring. Despite a seven game skid, the team's scorin...
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
Colorado was dominated once again in the shot category on Tuesday night in Carolina. The Hurricanes won 3-2 in the shootout and Calvin Pickard had to make 44 saves in his first NHL start in nearly three weeks.
The Avs were playing their second of a back-to-back and came away with a single point after losi...
AarifDeen writes...
Avs split with Nashville; Iginla records 1,200th point
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DailyNHLGrind[/b]
Nashville has the second best record in the NHL? No problem. Erik Johnson is out for the foreseeable future? Big deal. Semyon Varlamov starts his 15th game over the last 16 contests? No biggie.
The Avalanche welcomed the Predators to the Pepsi Center in the second of a home-and-home series tonight and wal...
LazarBeam writes...
Sens Lose, Only Manage One Goal Against McElhinney and CBJ
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
Erik Condra had the lone goal, and once again a strong effort from the Sens in a very winnable game that slipped through the fingers of the 26th overall Sens team.
A lot of things looked very good in their 51st game of the season, the offence seems to be building chemistry but just can't manage to finish consistently. This shouldn't be too upsetting for Sens management,...
Playoffs is definitely overstating it for the 25th overall Ottawa Senators, who might not be overly upset with a regulation loss tonight. They've gone 3-6-1 over their past 10 games, and a top 5 pick is certainly starting to sound pretty good to the Senators, whose playoff hopes are all but gone. A regulation win for Buffalo would still leave them 2 points behind the depre...
Tim Murray, please stop making me so angry.
I just don't get it. This team had all the pieces, all they had to do was wait for them to come together.
Enroth was only 26 years old, 27 this summer. A top goaltending prospect, drafted 46th overall in the 2nd round.
Enroth was the smallest goalie in the league playing for the worst team in the league. Getting drafted ...
LazarBeam writes...
Methot Signs Extension, Shane Prince Recalled from Bingo
Posted Monday | Comments 0
Marc Methot made Sens Army very happy today, as it was finally announced he had resigned with the club for the next 4 years.
The deal has a cap hit of 4.9 million per season, worth a total of 19.6 million that keeps Methot here until 2018-2019.
After Karlsson spoke out earlier this week as to how valuable Methot is to the team as well as himself, it seemed like this ...
LazarBeam writes...
Pre-Game Post: Sens take on Habs During Offensive Roll
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Sens are set to take on Dustin Tokarski and the Canadiens tonight in their fourth straight home game out of five in a row. In a stretch that has seen them play 10 of their last 13 games in Ottawa, the Sens have gone 5-6-2 and have seen a boost to their offence. The Senators have 41 goals for in their last 13 games, 3.15GF/game, a jump from their 2.8GF/game on the seaso...
LazarBeam writes...
Sens Call Up Puempel, Send Down Prince Before Panthers Game
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
After a two game NHL stint, Shane Prince has been sent back to Binghamton of the American Hockey League for further development. In his place will be Matt Puempel, first round pick of the same year Shane Prince was selected in the second round and JG Pageau was nabbed in the fourth.
Prince got an opportunity on the third line after MacArthur was injured, and was definit...
LazarBeam writes...
Post-Game Review: Turris' Three Points Lead Sens over FLA
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
[img]http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nhl/florida-panthers/hq5kye/picture10909145/ALTERNATES/LANDSCAPE_1140/Panthers%20Senators%20Hockey%20(3)[/img]
Final Score: 4 -1 Sens
The Sens ended their five game home-stand Saturday night with their third win, going 3-1-1. Over the last five games at home the Senators scored 22 goals, a 4.4 average well above their 2.8 on the...
February 26, 2015 grabo84
As the trade deadline approaches, every team is assessing their wants and needs. Despite reports, the Islanders are no different. Many cup contending teams will tinker with their depth chart at the trade deadline. This Islanders team is built for the future, but there is no need to wait on taking a serious run at the cup. Many rumors around...
LazarBeam writes...
Hammond, Sens continue to dominate | Thoughts & News
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Boston beat New Jersey tonight in OT and the Sens are now 7 points behind with 2 games in hand and only Florida and Philly between them and the final playoff spot.
Sens beat Kings 1-0, Hammond gets shutout
Since Hammond has come in the Sens have won four straight and look like they could jump a few teams in the standings soon. Our schedule is a few games behind the...
In another bold move by [b]Sabres GM Tim Murray[/b], this one coming ahead of the [b]April 1st Mascot Trade Deadline[/b], longtime Mascot "[b]SabreTooth[/b]" has been traded to the [b]Florida Panthers[/b] for a [b]7th round pick[/b] in [b]2019[/b]. Initial reports by [i]SteelOpus[/i] from '[i]diebytheblade[/i]' have been confirmed, sending the beloved Cat to Florida ahead...
Four years ago, I pondered the different draft lottery systems that could better distribute the first three overall picks every year so that the spread of talent in the lower tier teams doesn't fall to a team that just super-tanks for two years and then becomes one of the best teams in the league.
Should the Penguins have Malkin and Crosby? Should the Hawks have both ...
Well the games go by, and by, and... bye bye, another one gone! One game in the loss column is better than one for the win and jeepers who is ready for the end of this Maple Leafs season? Whomever else out there floating through purgatory, waiting for it to end, and get to some real action such as the playoffs... you know what I'm talking about here! Sure, it's fun to watc...
It wasn’t exactly how the coach drew it up, but the Penguins managed to earn a 3-1 victory over the Coyotes. They came back form a 1-0 deficit with two goals in the second period, from Brandon Sutter and Daniel Winnik. The Sutter goal may be one of the weirdest the Penguins have scored this season.
It occurred on a Penguins power-play. After defenseman Ian Cole rattle...
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...
Montreal Canadiens vs Ottawa Senators: Series Prediction
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
A big rivalry in the first round features Montreal Canadiens against the Ottawa Senators. The Canadiens come into the series as one of the best teams in the league this season. The Senators come into the series as one of the hottest teams in the past two months. Both can be attributed to excellent goaltending for each team, Carey Price (Canadiens) and Andrew Hammond (Senat...
People around the NHL world are, as predicted, crying foul over giving the next generational player to a team already with a glut of forward talent that isn't developing (certainly not beyond expectations, mostly below them). I think I saw this in the Simpsons once, when Homer got lodged in the water slide, so they tried to solve the problem by sending more kids in to try...
[img]http://www.journalpioneer.com/media/photos/unis/2011/07/01/2011-07-01-04-47-01-dave%20sens%20rookie%20camp1.jpg[/img]
Hello everybody and thank you for reading once again. It has been a couple months since I've had a chance to write, but exams ended just in time for me to trek back home to Ottawa for games 3 & 4. I just arrived home from the second OT loss in a row...
[img]http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/96/files/2015/04/bobby-ryan-nhl-ottawa-senators-carolina-hurricanes-850x560.jpg[/img]
Welp. This morning we saw how Dave Cameron will be lining them up tonight when the Sens will avoid the sweep.
MacArthur-Turris-Stone
Michalek-Zibanejad-Ryan
Condra-Pageau-Lazar
Hoffman-Smith-Neil
Its fair to say Hoffman will ha...
[img]http://1.cdn.nhle.com/senators/images/upload/gallery/2015/04/470740806_slide.jpg[/img]
Wow.
I've got to start this off with the most important thing that happened tonight: I called that Hoffman goal. It may not be impressive since he is our leading goal scorer, but hey, if it was so obvious why didn't Cameron move him up from the fourth line earlier? Like maybe ...
I have no basis on these trades other than what I think should happen.
I also believe it would make a very fun draft day. I will explain the bigger trades, some just don't really need explaining.
Trade 1
Edmonton receives
3rd overall pick (Hanifin)
29th/30th pick (Chicago)
63rd overall pick (Arizona)
Arizona receives
Leon Draisaitl
16th overall pick (Pitts...
I have a dream.... that the Oilers can get impact young d-men to help with their cause now...rnrnSeem like a bit of a stretch? Maybe, but there might be a few trade scenarios that could work well for both sides, therefor making it a viable deal, even in this cap-crazy world we call the NHL.rnrnFirst off, let me just say that I love all the Oilers young forwards. I believe ...
LazarBeam writes...
How many goals will Hoffman score for the Sens this season?
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Visit my website [url]http://lazarbeams.com/?p=62[/url] to vote! Current goal scoring pace, 2015-2016 =
0 goals / 0 games =
0 goals per game =
0 goal pace
With his arbitration case finally over, most of the summer there has been talk of how well Mike Hoffman will perform this coming season. With forwards like Stone and Zibanejad getting longer, more lucrative d...
To see more like this go to my website [url]http://lazarbeams.com/?cat=2/[/url]!
This is one of the first of many players I'll be recommending as potentially very good picks that will often be available in later rounds of fantasy hockey drafts this season. I usually play in leagues that count shots, hits, PIM, PPP and the usual G, A, sometimes +/- and blocks too.
Here'...
[img]http://www.cbc.ca/sports-content/hockey/opinion/assets_c/2013/05/white-canadiens_620-thumb-620xauto-295459.jpg[/img]
To see more like this check out the Sens News section of my website!
[url]http://lazarbeams.com/?cat=4[/url]
Six foot five,
228 lbs,
drafted 9th overall in 2009,
entering his 24/25 year old season.
We all have our opinions about Cowen...
[img]http://i.imgur.com/pWhTFKv.jpg[/img]
Check out my site! [url]www.lazarbeams.com[/url][/url]
I originally watched the first game of the three game rookie tournament with the intentions of writing an article for each game, but couldn't find the time as I had to travel around Ontario a bit this weekend. After a visit to see my family I'm finally back home and can g...
Dan a lifelong hockey guy having followed the game in depth since he was a kid growing up just across the river from Philadelphia in the 1970s. He has coached the game from Mites to Varsity levels spending numerous quality hours in the rinks of North America. His experiences with players, coaches, and executives from all levels of this great game have shaped him to becom...
[img]http://i.imgur.com/tPBRYcD.jpg[/img]
[url]www.lazarbeams.com[/url]
The new top line of Hoffman-Turris-Stone has been one of the best-looking in the league through the first couple games of the season and has been carrying the Sens offence. Last nights 3-1 loss to Montreal and rookie goalie Mike Condon showed why having one line play so much better than the rest ...
Growing up, I had a bunch of hockey VHS (and eventually DVDs) that I would watch before/after a game or in my free time in order to study in an attempt to try and emulate the players on the screen. I always drew a great amount of inspiration and motivation from those sessions of sitting in front of the TV.
Fast forward a number of years to today and not much has change...
Zak MacMillan writes...
Game No. 8- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Minnesotsa Wild
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Tonight is the first game of four in a road trip for the Columbus, and it is also the debut of new head coach John Tortorella. Columbus plays the Minnesota Wild, the same team they traded Jordan Leopold to in a friendly deal that benefited everyone, and the same team that stole Mike Reilly from us. The Wild are pretty much the same team, besides Reilly.
The Jackets are...
The road trip starts the same way the Jackets left Nationwide Arena- losing. The Jackets lost to the Minnesota Wild by a final score of 3-2 in John Tortorella's Blue Jackets debut.
Minnesota Wild only had 23 shots in the entire game, but had more goals than the opposition.For the Wild, Zach Parise, Nino Niederreiter, and (my player to watch) Thomas Vanek scored. Deva...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 18- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Arizona Coyotes
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
In the second game of a back-to-back, the Columbus Blue Jackets are back on home ice and are set to battle the Arizona Coyotes.
This is the first time these teams are meeting this season, and the Coyotes made some light changes. They lost Sam Gagner in a trade to the Philadelphia Flyers. They added Nicklas Grossmann and the contract of Chris Pronger from the Philad...
The Columbus Blue Jackets have successfully conquered a back-to-back stint against two different organizations,
Improving their record to 6-12-0.
On Friday night, the Jackets defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins by a final score of 2-1 in regulation. For the Pens, fiesty winger Patric Hornqvist scored their only goal in the final minute of the game. For the Jackets, B...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 20- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Ottawa Senators
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 20- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Ottawa Senators
Let the back to back begin in Ottawa. Here are the lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Boone Jenner – Ryan Johansen – Brandon Saad
Matt Calvert – Nick Foligno – Cam Atkinson
Scott Hartnell – William Karlsson – Rene Bourque
Kerby Rychel – Gregory Campbell – Josh Anderson
Jack Johnson �...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 20- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Ottawa Senators
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 20- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Ottawa Senators
Let the back to back begin in Ottawa. Here are the lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Boone Jenner – Ryan Johansen – Brandon Saad
Matt Calvert – Nick Foligno – Cam Atkinson
Scott Hartnell – William Karlsson – Rene Bourque
Kerby Rychel – Gregory Campbell – Josh Anderson
Jack Johnson �...
In Kanata, Ontario, Canada, the Columbus Blue Jackets' winning streak ended as a result of a shutout by the Ottawa Senators, blanking the Columbus Blue Jackets by a final score of 3-0. In Thursday's game,Craig Anderson stopped 25 shots, and earned a .100 save percentage (100%). They got goals from Erik Karlsson (2G, 1A), and Kyle Turris (1G, 1A). They also got points fro...
This year has been exactly as described "painful" yet we are seeing the fruits budding from an eventful offseason. The question is with an almost certain top 5 pick and definitely top 10 who do go for. I will go one by one by the top 10 and see if he fits with the leafs mold and a good draft.
Austin Matthews - You can't say no to him he is a shoe in whoever drafts firs...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 34- Columbus Blue Jackets @ Arizona Coyotes
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
What a turn of events for Columbus in the past couple of hours. John Tortorella has scratched Ryan Johansen; and Jack Johnson is a question mark for tonight, resulting in an emergency call-up of Justin Falk. And David Savard is injured. With those events said, they are playing an injured Arizona Coyotes team, that has recently lost their starting goaltender, Mike Smit...
What a turn of events in Arizona. On Thursday, Columbus scored goals a plenty against the Coyotes in a 7-5 onslaught. This marks Columbus' second win in December.
Arizona got goals from Tobias Reider (2), Antoine Vermette, Viktor Tikhnov, and Jordan Martinook. Other players with points include Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Shane Doan, Michael Stone, Nicklas Grossmann, and ...
CBJ- Still Last, Trade or Keep 1st Overall Pick?
The Columbus Blue Jackets remain dead last in the entire league as they are nearing the halfway mark of the regular season, almost where they were last year before a turnaround that got them to eighth worst in the NHL. Without any lottery, and to my reference earlier, the Jackets would have the first overall pick in the 2...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 41- Minnesota Wild v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
What a wild one in store tonight for the Blue Jackets as they host the Minnesota Wild at Nationwide Arena. The Wild last played Sunday in Sunrise, and falling victim to the red hot Florida Panthers. The Jackets last played Saturday, upsetting the Meto leading Capitals.
The Wild's leading point scorer is their assist leader and number one center- Mikko Koivu (32 poi...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Post-Game No. 41- Wild End, Add to the Losses
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
The Blue Jackets winning streak ends at two at home in a 4-2 defeat to the Minnesota Wild.
The Wild got a hat trick from Zach Parise and an empty-netter from Mikael Granlund. The only other player with points last night was Ryan Suter. Devan Dubynk made 29 saves on 31 shots against for a 0.935 save percentage (93.5%).
The Blue Jackets got goals from Cam Atkinso...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadiens
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadiens
Bonjour mes amies. Ce soir, les sont voyages à Québec. Hier soir, le est frappe les Canadiens, 5-2.
Tonight, revenge is on the mind of the Habs after losing to Columbus last night. The question is how tired are both teams.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Boone Jenner – Brandon Dubins...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadiens
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
CBJ Game No. 51: Columbus Blue Jackets @ Montreal Canadiens
Bonjour mes amies. Ce soir, les sont voyages à Québec. Hier soir, le est frappe les Canadiens, 5-2.
Tonight, revenge is on the mind of the Habs after losing to Columbus last night. The question is how tired are both teams.
Projected Lineups
Columbus Blue Jackets
Boone Jenner – Brandon Dubins...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 57- Ottawa Senators v. Columbus Blue Jackets
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
The home stand continues for the Columbus Blue Jackets as they welcome a different looking Ottawa Senators club. This week, the Senators pulled off a inner-division trade with rival Toronto Maple Leafs where Milan Michalek, Jared Cowen, Colin Grenning, Tobias Lindberg, and a 2017 2nd round pick were moved for captain Dion Phaneuf, Matt Frattin, Casey Bailey, Ryan Rupert, a...
Luke D
The Toronto Maple Leafs pulled off a major trade on Tuesday, shipping Dion Phaneuf along with career minor leaguers (Casey Bailey, Matt Frattin, Ryan Rupert and Cody Donaghey) to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for a 2017 2nd round pick, B prospect Tobias Lindberg, Jared Cowen, Milan Michalek and Colin Greening. While many (including myself), consider this trade ...
Last night, the Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Ottawa Senators by a final score of 4-2.
Ottawa got both their goals in the final frame. Bobby Ryan netted his 20th goal of the season two minutes into the third period. With less than five minutes left into the game, Cody Ceci got his 6th goal of the year. Mika Zibanejad got assists on both goals; and Erik Karlsson an...
So the current format has had some very good teams play against each other in the first round, while some of the weaker playoff teams played each other. It appears there needs to be some sort of re-formatting necessary. We found an interesting article on line with a pretty good proposal, along with changes to the lottery draft. You can read it all here: http://franchis...
Tomorrow is Draft Lottery Day! That wonderful day when the fans of 14 teams gather in bars and in front of their televisions and watch as Bill Daley announces that the Oilers have won the draft lottery.
After that, we will go through the next three months of having to hear about articles from Toronto media sources about how the Leafs were entitled to the 1st overall pic...
For hopefully the only time in history, the seven Canadian teams are all in the draft lottery. This also happens to be a year in which the NHL tries to make the draft position fair to all teams finishing poorly. This year still gives the last place team (Toronto) a 20% chance of getting first choice but it also allows the top 3 picks to potentially go to any of the botto...
I must say the NHL seems to be going the right way with the lottery. It is not must see TV yet but that was a lot more interesting with the top 3 all up for grabs. It is not like them to successfully market anything. I think the big Congratulations go to the Jets. They will get themselves a big Finnish player that will fit well on their team next season.
As for the ...
Last night the Minnesota Wild announced that they have hired Bruce Boudreau as there new head coach. Boudreau went 409-192-80 (.659) in 9 seasons as the head coach of the Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals. Boudreau contact with Minnesota is 4yrs just under 3 million a year.
...
Zak MacMillan writes...
NHL Playoff Thoughts: Management Changes; Conference Finals
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Welcome to my NHL Playoff Thoughts blog, the second round edition. Thus far, there has been plenty of changes in management, and we have our Conference Final matchups.
As for the management changes, there have been changes of guard in six teams- Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Ottawa, Anaheim, and Calgary.
The Coyotes made a gutsy move in promoting assistant general m...
07/19/2016
Welcome to my first ever blog, I hope you enjoy.
I remember a sense of relief coming over me when the Leafs won the draft lottery. Excitement and anticipation have taken over since, but at that time it was simply relief. Relief in sports is the worst; it usually means even though you can always sink lower, rock bottom is so very close!
Hockey fans l...
In this week’s Fan’s Fronchroom bit, let’s talk a little about the upcoming season. I’m sure you’re all chomping at the bit to the extent that I am, and for that reason, I think we can all use a healthy little bit of hockey analysis. There are a few notable reasons for Blackhawks fans to feel extremely optimistic regarding the upcoming season, and a thorough look...
This is a game for people, so you can rank who is more of a hockey fan. each person starts with 5 points, and the point number will change. each person may only vote once, and the first person to get to 50 points wins.
there will be 13 people that you can vote for, and each person can only vote once. you don't have to be in the 13 to vote, and if you are you can still v...
This is a game for people, so you can rank who is more of a hockey fan. each person starts with 5 points, and the point number will change. each person may only vote once, and the first person to get to 50 points wins.
there will be 13 people that you can vote for, and each person can only vote once. you don't have to be in the 13 to vote, and if you are you can still v...
Game Starts Now:
Each player has 2 positive votes and 2 negative votes per day. To vote you must be in the game and i can also vote and so can Eklund if he wants to. other than me and Eklund, you have to be in the game to vote.
So each person starts with 10 points, and if you vote, you have to vote 2 positive votes and 2 negative votes. You can vote -2 for one person...
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...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 24- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Arizona Coyotes
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I know the game is in progress but I am a bit behind yet again. The Jackets are wrapping up their series finale against the Arizona Coyotes tonight.
The Coyotes lost to the Jackets badly over the weekend. The score doesn't show it, but the other stats do. If your starting goalie is facing 60 shots in a game, the goalie is getting tired and the defense is weak. In Arizo...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 24- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Arizona Coyotes
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I know the game is in progress but I am a bit behind yet again. The Jackets are wrapping up their series finale against the Arizona Coyotes tonight.
The Coyotes lost to the Jackets badly over the weekend. The score doesn't show it, but the other stats do. If your starting goalie is facing 60 shots in a game, the goalie is getting tired and the defense is weak. In Arizo...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 24- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Arizona Coyotes
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I know the game is in progress but I am a bit behind yet again. The Jackets are wrapping up their series finale against the Arizona Coyotes tonight.
The Coyotes lost to the Jackets badly over the weekend. The score doesn't show it, but the other stats do. If your starting goalie is facing 60 shots in a game, the goalie is getting tired and the defense is weak. In Arizo...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Game No. 24- Columbus Blue Jackets v. Arizona Coyotes
Posted Monday | Comments 0
I know the game is in progress but I am a bit behind yet again. The Jackets are wrapping up their series finale against the Arizona Coyotes tonight.
The Coyotes lost to the Jackets badly over the weekend. The score doesn't show it, but the other stats do. If your starting goalie is facing 60 shots in a game, the goalie is getting tired and the defense is weak. In Arizo...
Did I mean the player or the term "to win"?? Last night, the former Coyote center led his current team in front of Nationwide Arena to a 4-1 victory over Arizona.
Tobias Reider opened the scoring midway through the first period for a 1-0 Arizona lead. On the breakin from the power play, Alex Goligoski passed the puck to Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who found Reider open on a ...
Did I mean the player or the term "to win"?? Last night, the former Coyote center led his current team in front of Nationwide Arena to a 4-1 victory over Arizona.
Tobias Reider opened the scoring midway through the first period for a 1-0 Arizona lead. On the breakin from the power play, Alex Goligoski passed the puck to Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who found Reider open on a ...
The Isles needed four points last weekend, and they ran into slumping teams. The Islanders scored two goals in two games this weekend (one in each) and both were back-to-back 2-1 losses to the Avs and the Coyotes. Johnny Boychuk had a goal on Friday and an assist on Alan Quine's goal on Saturday. Thomas Greiss played both games and was brilliant in both. Staying discipline...
Zak MacMillan writes...
CBJ Update 2017: Southern Trip; Bobrovsky In and Out
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
CBJ Post-Game No. 41- Korpisalo
The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning by the final score of 3-1.
The Bolts opened the scoring on their home ice in the first period. Jonathan Drouin scored his 13th goal of the season. Valtteri Flippula and Ondrej Palat had the assists.
Josh Anderson evened the game for his 10th of the season. David Savard ha...
CBJ Update: February Fever
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a busy remainder of January since I last blogged. The last time I blogged was after a victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. This blog will cover the games they won throughout the remainder of February; the All Star Game; and injury updates on the back front—as well as trade rumors.
CBJ Post Game No. 4...
CBJ Update: February Fever
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a busy remainder of January since I last blogged. The last time I blogged was after a victory against the Carolina Hurricanes. This blog will cover the games they won throughout the remainder of February; the All Star Game; and injury updates on the back front—as well as trade rumors.
CBJ Post Game No. 4...
CBJ Post-Game No. 62—Wild Shutout
The Columbus Blue Jackets got the one important goal to shutout the Minnesota Wild by the final score of 1-0 in regulation.
The lone goal came from Brandon Saad, who scored his 19th goal of the season. Nick Foligno had the lone assist.
This game was the debuts for Lauri Korpikoski and Kyle Quiency in Blue Jackets uniforms. Korpi...
The Ottawa Senators grabbed a 2-1 series lead over the Boston Bruins tonight thanks to a Bobby Ryan overtime winner. The Senators were in command of the game early as they ran out to a 3-0 lead early in the second period of Game 3.
The Bruins mounted an impressive comeback, tying the score at three before time ran out on the second frame. It was all for naught though, an...
When do you think the next NHL trade will happen?
Apaulo13 writes...
Oilers lines - best of active oilers (past and present)
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Just because I like to live a life filled with fantasy, (must be the years of losing that required me to develop a vivid imagination) I thought it would be fun to see what a roster would look like made up of all Oilers past and present, that are still active in the NHL.
*[CURRENT TEAM IN SQUARE BRACKETS] - BLANK IF CURRENT OILER
GOALTENDERS
1a - Cam Talbot (2017 st...
The Wild are at a crossroad. The changes made last off season resulted in the best regular season the team has had in their 17 year existence, but the quick exit from the playoffs at the hands of an "inferior" St Louis Blues team has left all of Minnesota wanting more. For the last couple of years, Chuck Fletcher's goal has been to increase the scoring of the team and la...
A couple days ago Kailer Yamamoto signed his entry level deal with the Edmonton Oilers. Yamamoto finds himself in the company of the Oilers skilled forward prospects Jesse Puljujarvi, Tyler Benson... and that's pretty much it. The Oilers forward prospect cupboards are pretty barren making it all the more essential for these players to turn into successful NHLers.
Let's ...
With just two games to go until the Buffalo Sabres officially hit the halfway mark of the 2017-18 season...they find themselves in familiar territory. Competing with the Arizona Coyotes for the rights to highest odds in this springs NHL Draft Lottery.
And while it seems like the same old story (something I wrote about earlier), it also feels slightly different. Yes,...
I've decided to bring my novice talents to HOCKEYBUZZ. I also am far from an NBA person however couldn't resist the line. I will be providing my takes on hockey at all levels. I'm a self proclaimed hockey junkie, I've coached at the youth level for 10 plus years and enjoyed every second. Play men's (BEER) league hockey as well. Please feel free to reach out and lets have s...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Instigator |Episode 11 GOAL! Are you Kidding Me!
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 11
GOAL! Are you Kidding Me!
Cam Ward allowed one of the weirdest goals ever last week. The puck was rung around the boards by Arizona Coyotes Alex Goligoski. Ward exited his net to stop the puck. The puck stuck in his skate, and Ward (not knowing where the puck was) slid to the front of the net in order to defend his foot slid into the net. T...
To say Cam Talbot has had an underwhelming season would be an understatement. After setting an Oilers franchise record for wins last Talbot now finds himself with an abysmal .906 Sv%. That number puts him in 44th for goaltenders who have played at least 20 games.
Talbot has one more year on his contract before he becomes a free agent. Some fans have gone so far to say t...
I've written about this a few times because I hate the one thing that improves your team the most comes down to lottery balls without rhyme or reason except for teams improving their odds through something that can be about 50% arbitrary (see the Avs from last year to this year, who doubled their points with basically one less player).
This year, some of those perennial...
Coaching expert Donald S. Cherry diagnosed the Edmonton Oilers in October, three games into their doomed 2017-18 season. This Coach’s Corner segment was broadcast on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017 and Cherry is in top form right from the start — “Do they have pool tables out in Red Deer?” — but the relevant bit arrives at 2:07, when Ron MacLean introduces “a little ...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 26 Off to Round 2
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
THE DEBATE – Hockey Podcast | Episode 26
Off to Round 2 of Stanley Cup Playoffs and Draft Lottery
Debate 1 |Draft Lottery System
Debate 2 |Eastern Conference Divisional Finals
Debate 3 |Western Conference Divisional Finals
It is off to round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and Brad Burud and Blake Friars breakdown all four series. The good, the bad and the...
INSIDEEDGEHOCKE writes...
The Instigator - Draft Lottery a Missed Opportunity
Posted Friday | Comments 0
The Instigator |Episode 14
Draft Lottery a Missed Opportunity
I really like the NHL Draft Lottery process, but I have a huge problem with how it was presented to the public this year. This is a made for television opportunity that the NHL wasted. So what should they have done, and how could they capitalize on this opportunity? Give a listen!
[https://www.spreaker....
Yesterday the Oilers did a thing in signing Stuart Skinner to an entry level contract. Skinner was quite impressive after being traded to the Swift Current Broncos and was crucial to their victory. Skinner outperformed Carter Hart who is arguably the best goalie prospect in the WHL, posting 6 shutouts and a .932 Sv% over his playoff run.
Before anyone jumps to discussin...
The easy predictions are as follows:
1) Buffalo Sabres- Ramus Dahlin
2) Carolina Hurricanes- Andrei Svechnikov
3) Montreal Canadiens- Flip Zadina
4) Ottawa Senators - Brady Tkachuk
5) Arizona Coyotes- Noah Dobson
The less than likely draft predictions:
1) Carolina trades either Jeff Skinner, Justin Faulk, Victor Rask, or Scott Darling
for either a ...
Ottawa Senators forward Zack Smith was placed on, and cleared waivers over the past 24 hours. Smith is a career long Senator: drafted by the club in the third round, 79th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. He was part of a team last year that crashed below the Earth's crust, and is offering him to clubs at a lesser value, after going through the waiver wire. Smith was al...
Many hockey insiders believe American Thanksgiving to be the time of year where NHL General Managers sit down, take a hard look at their rosters, and evaluate where they are and where their season could be headed. Most teams have played roughly 20 games by this point, so by this time many GMs have developed a solid understanding of what is working for their club, and what ...
[u]On Alzner...rn[/u]rnSo after one of the stupidest free agent signings of all time,we have finally acknowledged reality and put Karl Alzner on waivers. Obviously its the right move, but its disconcerting that the vast majority of the fanbase which I am in contact with knew that this was a brutal move at the time we made it. Regardless, the right move has been made, now ...
[u]On Alzner...rn[/u]
So after one of the stupidest free agent signings of all time,we have finally acknowledged reality and put Karl Alzner on waivers. Obviously its the right move, but its disconcerting that the vast majority of the fan base which I am in contact with knew that this was a brutal move at the time we made it. Regardless, the right move has been made, n...
The Red and White game yesterday was fun (ish) to watch. Guys working hard to get jobs. Noticeably absent were Dylan Larkin and Mike Green. Andreas Athanasiou left about halfway through and didn’t return. Coach Blashill is calling it “tweaks” and “precautionary measures”. It leaves a bad feeling in the stomach all around.
So far, we’ve seen injuries to Alec...
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...
As the 2021 regular season comes to a close, the Columbus Blue Jackets are missing the playoffs for the first time since the 2015-2016 season. John Tortorella has been at the center of attention in Columbus since his rough skid in Vancouver with the Canucks organization, having the reputation of being an American-born leader and loudmouth in the same breath. Tortorella is ...
Before the turn of the calendar, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced the return of President John Davidson to the fold, after a two year stint in the Big Apple with the New York Rangers. JD and Jarmo Kekalainen are both now on new multi-year deals with the organization to bring this team back to the glory. Just like the first contracr for Kekalainen, he is back on the draf...
DelcoDave writes...
Gambler’s Guide Minnesota Wild @ Philadelphia Flyers 3/3/22
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
Minnesota Wild @ Philadelphia Flyers
After giving us a slight reprieve from all the losing streaks they’ve been on this year the Flyers got right back to their losing ways dropping the game against the Oilers 3-0. Minnesota is in the middle of their own four game losing streak as they head to Philly for a quick two game road trip. The Gambler’s Guide went a perfect 5 ...
[i]Guest Writer: Octavarium[/i]Thursday evening the Senators continued their push towards an unlikely playoff spot with a hometown tilt against the Philadelphia Flyers. To say the Flyers came to town with an obvious chip on their shoulder would be an understatement. They came in having won 4 straight and feeling pretty good about themselves. The tone was set early. We are ...
With goaltending being the key to the Senators success next year (and every year, apparently) and everyone acknowledging that it is an area that has to be addressed and improved, it is evident that the position will become the focus of the offseason (along with the looming decisions about Alex Debrincat). It is going to become a dominant story in Ottawa.
A...