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Sixteen teams are about to explore uncharted territory. Whatever’s behind them doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is the treasure ahead – somewhere, to be found. No one has any idea what it will take to get there. Some think they might, but there’s no way of knowing the exact path, knowing what's ahead. It all starts tonight. The 2007 Stanley Cup Playoffs....
The update you have ALL been waiting for...(does anybody even read this thing?). Game 1 was a steam roller of a game for the Sens. There were squashed Pens littering the ice all night long. And yes, this is comming from a LONG TIME Penguins fan. Game 2 presents quite a challenge for our kids...will they be able to respond like we all think they can? [b]THINGS TO LOOK FO...
With the senators in control of this series this is a very important game. If the pens lose today they will be down 3-1 and have no chance to comeback. It is a desperate situation for the pens. It worrys me that during the moring skate the pens looked so relaxed. Maybe it is a tactic that Therrien is using so the pens do not have to think about the pressure they face. The ...
Eggshmeg writes...

Eggshmeg's 2007 Draft Preview
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
Here is my quick breakdown of what I expect each team to do this year at the draft. I will show you what each team's weakness is and later I will post who I think each team will draft based on these facts, in the first two rounds. A mock draft if you will. Here is my breakdown: [b]Anaheim[/b] - May need defensive help, but Brian Burke has a knack to make a good trade...
I have been on various blog websites and no matter which one I read there seems to be one similarity, write-off the Islanders. This blog will explore why other fans in the NHL (even some Isles fans) are doing so prematurely. Gone from the team this year are the following players: Yashin (buyout), Blake (FA), Smyth (FA), Kozlov (FA), Poti (FA), Robataille ...
Perhaps it's a little early to write a preview for the Toronto Maple Leafs, so I'll make sure to do another one a little closer to the season opener. I figured it might be nice to get some of you Leaf fans salivating in excitement for the season though. First of all, I should review the off-season so far for the Buds. The Leafs made several significant moves. The big...
sstrang writes...

Let The Flames Fly!
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
It's August, the hottest part of the summer is over. The Stampede is here and gone and heck, even the most loyal CFL fan is getting tired of the Stampeders. What better way to spend an evening than talking about 2007-08 Flames Hockey. [b]The Good[/b] First off, and others may not agree, the best thing the Flames did off-season was hire Mike Keenan. Last year this ...
I decided to put together my own My NHL Season Preview, please read and tell me your thoughts I started with the Pacific Division Phoenix Coyotes First I have to say sorry to the fans of the Phoenix Coyotes, you will have the toughest of seasons to watch. Your team will have to play Anaheim, San Jose, and Dallas a total of 24 times. And you most likely propel Lo...
[b]Up next, I looked at the Northwest Division (one of the toughest to pick) Minnesota Wild[/b] The Minnesota Wild had a good year last year, perhaps overachieving a little bit. Mainly they were able to take advantage of Edmonton when they were on their spiral down towards the basement of the Northwest Division. The Wild were 6 - 2 against Edmonton and 4 of the wins ...
Eastern Conference: 1. Pittsburgh Penguins: Last years youngest team added veteran help in Petr Sykora and Daryl Sydor to an already talented core. With Sidney Crosby up front and Marc-Andre Fleury in net, the Pens should build on last season. 2. Buffalo Sabres: Yes, the leaders are gone, but the students learned enough to carry the load. Derek Roy looks ready for an...
xmyth writes...

Unsubstantiated Season Preview
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
I have no facts. I have no stats. I have no research, quotes, contacts. All I have is my opinion, but, as most of you know (begrudgingly), that is worth a fair bit. Did you come here for an in-depth analysis of teams, perhaps hoping for some outside speculation about your home team? If so, leave now. It will spare you disappointment beyond the shame you must feel ...
Thoughts heading into round two..... -- It's funny how things work out sometimes. The salary cap was supposed to mean every team had a chance of winning every year, and that has been the case. In the post-lockout NHL, no team that reached the Stanley Cup finals has advanced out of the first round the following season, but look a little deeper. In the Western Confe...
While it is not yet the end of July, it's hard not to think about the upcoming hockey season, especially given the current state of the Devils and everything that has happened since last season's disappointing playoff loss. It seems as though the Devils have addressed their most pressing needs, and in just two months time, we finally will get to see how the seeds planted t...
The Montreal Canadiens are coming off of a Cinderella type season, where the so called experts picked them to finish anywhere between 10th and 13th in their conference. Instead, we saw the emergence of Kostitsyn and Plekanec, the resurgence of Alex Kovalev and the Good, the Bad and the Ugly side of Carey Price. The end result was a spectacular surprise first place in the...
[b]FLAMES SEASON PREVIEW[/b] Someone asked me how I thought the Flames would do this year. That is hard to predict, because there are so many factors involved this season. The main problem I have with the Flames is the same old problem - not enough scoring. We have several forwards, but in all honesty, we have just too many third and fourth liners. I feel the Flames hav...
Sven22 writes...

One man's West preview
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I know predictions are cliche for this site and this time of year, but I wrote obscenely long Western Conference preview for something else and thought, what the hell, I'll put it up here and see if people respond. Enjoy if you have the patience to read it all. -Sven 22 1. Detroit Red Wings (1st in Central) (This’ll be a bit longer than the rest; they’re my te...
Sven22 writes...

One man's West preview
Posted Sunday | Comments 0
I know predictions are cliche for this site and this time of year, but I wrote obscenely long Western Conference preview for something else and thought, what the hell, I'll put it up here and see if people respond. Enjoy if you have the patience to read it all. -Sven 22 1. Detroit Red Wings (1st in Central) (This'll be a bit longer than the rest; they're my team, ...
Well...after a short stint as a vodka vendor in Russia and getting caught up in a immigration for what seemed like a life time I am back. Now that I'm back the question I'm asking myself is, what is the state of the Preds? My fellow Pred fans I am here to tell you that the state of the Predators is good. Not great...good. Over the next few of days I will be breakin...
Can you hear that? Thats 90% of America not giving a shit. Hockey is back, and while most of Canada are on their couch eagerly waiting for Hockey Night in Canada, to come on the trusty CBC. Americans everywhere are struggling to find that hunting network, and have given up looking. Why the NHL refuses to go back to ESPN is beyond me. Sure you could be a small fish in a ...
millertime writes...

Forget my prediction
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Earlier I posted this....and the Sabres are already up 3-0 with 6 minutes left in the first. Can't be right all the time! I'll chalk this up to my Vancouver bias described below in my earlier entry. I'm going out on a weird limb tonight, and I'm predicting a 4-2 Vancouver win for this evening's game at HSBC Arena. I say Steve Bernier will be pumped and fiery for th...
It's about time that the Flyers finally play another game, eh? Tonight, the Flyers will play their first game after the All-Star break as they take on the Florida Panthers. The last game for the Flyers was last Wednesday when they defeated the Atlanta Thrashers 5-3. Tonight's game against the Panthers should be a very interesting game, because these two teams faced off aga...
While the majority of Leafs fans wrote the team off in the summer, it wasn’t until the New Year that the teams first true season of rebuilding began the inevitable grind into early year golf tournaments. As Leafs nation pencilled in dates for the draft and free agency into their diaries both the Eastern and Western conferences were enjoying (or enduring) one of the mos...
[b]Western Conference: San Jose Sharks (1) vs Anaheim Ducks (8) Preseason odds: Sharks 10/1 Ducks 12/1 Last 10: Bruins 5-4-1, Ducks 7-2-1 Season Series: Sharks win 4-2-0 Overview:[/b] Perennial cup hopefuls San Jose enter the playoffs with their franchise first Presidents trophy. Anaheim, cup winners just two seasons ago, were talking in terms of team gutting prior...
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...
Eastern Conference final stadings from last year 1 -Boston 116 2 -Washington 108 3 -New Jersey 106 4 -Pittsburgh 99 5 -Philadelphia 99 6 -Carolina 97 7 -NY Rangers 95 8 -Montreal 93 9 Florida 93 10 Buffalo 91 11 Ottawa 83 12 Toronto 81 13 Atlanta 76 14 Tampa Bay 66 15 NY Islanders 61 This year we should see a few teams flip flop with some new...
As we start to turn the corner on summer, it's just about time to start gearing our minds towards next season's draft. To kick things off, let's take a look back to see which players had the strongest finish to the 2008-09 season. We'll ignore the obvious players who were strong from start to finish, and focus on players that turned it on in the last quarter. It's not ...
If you've been playing fantasy hockey for a number of years, you inevitably start to get attached to certain players. You have it stuck in your head that the player is a star and has to be drafted. If you're interested in winning, you sometimes have to forget the past and acknowledge when the dog just can't run like he used to. The trends indicate that these boys are on...
As you evaluate your draft list for the upcoming season, pay special note to a number of players who carry a bit of a high-risk, high-reward aspect. While you don't want to necessarily avoid drafting them, you definitely want to limit the number of these guys that wind up on your roster. It's ok to roll the dice on Marian Gaborik in round 3, as long as your first 2 picks...
In preparing for your upcoming fantasy hockey drafts, one of the keys to watch for are players who are poised for a breakout season. If you draft purely off of last season's stats, you're always going to miss out on some of the best performers. If you managed to snag Jeff Carter, Zach Parise, or Bobby Ryan last season, you were well ahead of the game. Here are 4 names a...
When it comes to fantasy hockey drafts, the temptation is to pull out last year's stats and pick the guy who had the most points. A lot of bad assumptions go into that philosophy. For one thing, you ultimately end up with a host of one-hit wonders and miss out on the rising players. We've assembled here a list of players that peaked last year or had a fluke of a great s...
There's bound to be some turnover in playoff teams in 2010. There is every year. So, who's in and who's out next spring? Let's break it down in the Eastern Conference. • Penguins, Capitals, Flyers, and Bruins are locks. • Devils and Hurricanes are good bets. • Islanders, Lightning and Thrashers are extreme long shots at best • That leaves 6 teams to sc...
As you continue to prepare your draft list, take some time and scour the stats sheets for players on the rise. The trends indicate that these players are getting better every year and should continue to climb in 2009. If you draft purely on last year's stats, you'll probably undervalue many of these players. [u]Offense[/u] [b]Nik Antropov[/b] - Atlanta just may be...
Here are the top 10 goalies you should target for your fantasy hockey draft, and why: [b]1. Luongo [/b] Luongo has ousted Brodeur as the can't miss goalie come draft day. Although injuries limited his value last season, his second half performance demonstrated why he's the definition of money when it comes to goalies. Don't hesitate to draft him in the top 5 picks. ...
Here are the top 10 defensemen you should target for your fantasy hockey draft, and why: [b]1. Mike Green[/b] Worthy of the #1 overall pick, if your league places any significant value on defensemen. He's a lock in for the top blueliner in 2009, as he has been for the past 2 seasons. [b]2. Sergei Gonchar[/b] Say what you must about about Crosby and Malkin, but the ...
When it comes to drafting a fantasy hockey team, there is no greater joy than the moment you call a name and hear 3 other GM's groan, "I forgot about that guy!". These players will be overlooked by your average GM for a plethora of reasons. Mostly, because they're not as smart as you. Some of these guys had below average seasons last year, due to injury, etc. Others are t...
When it comes time in your fantasy hockey draft to select a goalie, one critical thing to be wary of is goalies sharing time in net. You might be drafting a stud with a 2.1 GAA, but if he only gets 50 starts, it's going to hurt you in the long run. So here a handful of teams that have a cloudy picture between the pipes, and what it should mean for you at the draft table....
A-Mar writes...

Quick NHL Season Players Preview
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
Anaheim -MVP: Ryan Getzlaf -Key New Face: Saku Koivu -Sleeper: Andrew Ebbett -Super Sleeper: Luca Sbisa Atlanta -MVP: Ilya Kovalchuk -Key New Face: Nik Antropov -Sleeper: Anssi Salmela -Super Sleeper: Jason Krog Boston -MVP: Zdeno Chara -Key New Face: Marco Sturm (back from injury) -Sleeper: Matt Hunwick -Super Sleeper: Vladimir Sobotka Buf...
When it comes to draft time for your fantasy hockey season, there are certain players that require you to look beyond the numbers. For one reason or another, you ought to tread carefully with this list. Whether it's off-ice troubles or uncertain roles within a team, be careful to not put too much faith in this crew. [u]Offense[/u] [b]Jonathan Cheechoo[/b] - After s...
landsharkhockey writes...

Nine Fine Lines
Posted Friday | Comments 0
Several of the finest lines in the NHL were split up in the offseason, opening the door for some emerging combinations to take the stage for the 2009-10 season. Although most of these threesomes won't be matched up on a regular basis (due to positions or coaches not wanted to load up on one line), it's a great option for the coaches to assemble these lines when they're in...
Here are ten predictions for the 2009-10 season. I asked "Big Country" Shawn Lavigne of Hockey This Morning on XM 204, and here are his picks, along with mine: 1 - Aside from Wayne Gretzky, the first head coach to be fired this season: Shawn Lavigne - Lindy Ruff Me - Peter DeBoer It's not that Deboer is necessarily doing anything wrong. He got the Panthers within...
It has been too long of a summer with too many questions thrown up. Was trading Sbisa a huge mistake? Can anyone make up for Knuble on the PP? How much of the teams implosion was really the fault of the Goalies? Will Pronger make all the difference? I really don't expect any of these to be answered in the first game. Some may take a couple years to play out (Sbisa)...
It has been too long of a summer with too many questions thrown up. Was trading Sbisa a huge mistake? Can anyone make up for Knuble on the PP? How much of the teams implosion was really the fault of the Goalies? Will Pronger make all the difference? I really don't expect any of these to be answered in the first game. Some may take a couple years to play out (Sbisa)...
landsharkhockey writes...

Warroom Predictions
Posted Friday | Comments 0
I was on the Warroom on XM 204 yesterday to chat with them about NHL predictions for the upcoming season. 3 simple questions were asked. Here are their picks, along with mine: 1.  Which team will win the 2009-10 Stanley Cup? 2.  Which player will win the 2009-10 Hart Trophy? 3.  Give us one wacky and/or out-on-a limb prediction. Peter Berce - Sharks, Joe Thorn...
As always, the first round of the playoffs featured plenty of surprises. In the East, the lower seeds provided a greater challenge than expected and came through with a couple of upsets. In the West, it was surprisingly predictable, as the general favorites all came through to the second round. We'll start with the West as we try to make sense out of what's to come over...
Here is a quick player by player breakdown of how the Flyers and Bruins will match up in the second round of the 2010 stanley cup playoffs. [b]Defense:[/b] [img]http://cdn.nhl.com/photos/mugs/8459424.jpg[/img] vs. [img]http://cdn.nhl.com/photos/mugs/8465009.jpg[/img] [u]Chris Pronger vs. Zdeno Chara[/u] Breakdown: Even in their mid-thirties, Pronger and Chara are...
Who could have predicted this? The top two teams in the West will meet for the rights to tower over the remnants of the East, where the bottom two seeds are set to do battle. [u] San Jose Sharks (1) -vs- Chicago Blackhawks (2)[/u] With all of the chaos that the Stanley Cup playoffs have delivered, it's almost surprising to see the top two teams actually advancing to ...
With rookie camp opening on Monday it is the right time to take a look at the battles that will be taking place this September. Much of the roster is set and there will probably be few surprises. However there is a chance for upsets and underdogs. There is a top-6 forward spot up for grabs. There are also 2 defensive spots and 2 bottom-6 forward roles open for competiti...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Stan Bowman (GM), Joel Quenneville (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 52W 22L 8OTL 112PTS [b]Place:[/b] 1st Central, 2nd West, 3rd NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Patrick Kane – 82GP 30G 58A 88P [b]Captains:[/b] Jonathan Toews (C), Patrick Sharp (A), Duncan Keith (A) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES[/b] [b]OUT:[/b] Brent Sopel (Dealt to Atlanta) Ben Ea...
Micheal Aldred writes...

Preview: Anaheim Ducks
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Bob Murray (GM) Randy Carlyle (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 39W 32L 11OTL 89PTS [b]Place:[/b] 4th Pacific, 11th West, 17th NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Corey Perry – 82GP 27G 49A 76P [b]Captains:[/b] Ryan Getzlaf (A), Saku Koivu (A) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] D Scott Niedermayer (Retired) RW Mike Brown (Dealt to Toronto) D Steve...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Jim Rutherford (GM) Paul Maurice (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 35W 37L 10OTL 80PTS [b]Place:[/b] 3rd Southeast, 11th Eest, 24th NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Eric Staal – 70GP 29G 31A 70P [b]Captains:[/b] Eric Staal (C) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] Ray Whitney (Signed with Phoenix) Rod Brind’Amour (Retired) Tim Conboy (Signed wit...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Rick Dudley (GM) Craig Ramsay [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 35W 34L 13OTL 83PTS [b]Place:[/b] 2nd Southeast, 10th East, 23rd NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Nik Antropov – 24G 43A 67P [b]Captains:[/b] None [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] Joey Crabb (Dealt to Chicago) Marty Reasoner (Dealt to Chicago) Colby Armstrong (Free Agent) Johan Hedberg (Free...
Micheal Aldred writes...

Preview: Boston Bruins
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Peter Chiarelli (GM) Claude Julien (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats: [/b]82GP 39W 30L 13OTL 91PTS [b]Place:[/b] 3rd Northeast, 6th East, 14th NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Patrice Bergeron – 19G 33A 52P [b]Captains:[/b] Zdeno Chara (C), Patrice Bergeron (A) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] Denis Wideman (Dealt to Florida) Vladimir Sobotka (Dealt to ...
Micheal Aldred writes...

Preview: Buffalo Sabres
Posted Saturday | Comments 0
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Darcy Regier (GM) Lindy Ruff (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 45W 27L 10OTL 100PTS [b]Place:[/b] 1st Northeast, 3rd East, 11th NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Derek Roy – 80GP 26G 43A 69P [b]Captains:[/b] Craig Rivet (C) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] Henrik Tallinder (Signed with New Jersey) Toni Lydman (Signed with Anaheim) Tim Kennedy ...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Greg Sherman (GM), Joe Sacco (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 43W 30L 9OTL 95PTS [b]Place:[/b] 2nd Northwest, 8th West, 12th NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Paul Stastny – 81GP 20G 59A 79P [b]Captains:[/b] Adam Foote (C), Paul Stastny (A), Milan Hejduk (A) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] Brett Clark (Signed with Tampa Bay) Chris Durno (Sign...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Scott Howson (GM), Scott Arniel (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 32W 35L 15OTL 79PTS [b]Place:[/b] 5th Central, 14th West, 27th NHL [b]Top Scorer: [/b]Rick Nash – 76GP 33G 34A 67P [b]Captains: [/b]Rick Nash (C), Mike Commodore (A), RJ Umberger (A) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] Nathan Paetsch (Signed with Florida) [b]IN:[/b] ...
Micheal Aldred writes...

Preview: Dallas Stars
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Joe Nieuwendyk (GM), Marc Crawford (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 37W 31L 14OTL 88PTS [b]Place: [/b]5th Pacific, 12th West, 20th NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Brad Richards – 80GP 24G 67A 91P [b]Captains:[/b] Brendan Morrow (C), Stephane Robidas (A), Brad Richards (A) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] Warren Peters (Signed with Minnesota) ...
[b] Primary Staff:[/b] Ken Holland (GM), Mike Babcock (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 44W 24L 14OTL 102PTS [b]Place:[/b] 2nd Central, 5th West, 7th NHL [b]Top Scorer:[/b] Pavel Datsyuk – 80GP 27G 43A 70P [b]Captains:[/b] Niklas Lidstrom (C), Pavel Datsyuk (A), Henrik Zetterberg (A) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES[/b] [b]OUT:[/b] Brett Lebda (Signed with Toronto)...
[b]Primary Staff:[/b] Steve Tambellini (GM), Tom Renney (Head Coach) [b]2009-10 Stats:[/b] 82GP 27W 47L 8OTL 62PTS [b]Place: [/b]5th Northwest, 15th West, 30th NHL [b]Top Scorer: [/b]Dustin Penner – 82GP 32G 31A 63P [b]Captains:[/b] Ales Hemsky (A), Shawn Horcoff (A) [b]OFF-SEASON MOVES OUT:[/b] Patrick O’Sullivan (Dealt to Phoenix) Ethan Moreau (Waivers ...
wingfan23 writes...

Previewing Game 7
Posted Tuesday | Comments 0
Tommrow night or Tonight whatever the time is that your reading this wonderful blog Game 7 the final NHL game of the 2010-2011 season will happen. The Boston Bruins evened up the best of seven Stanley Cup series with a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. My feelings on the game are this I believe Vancouver is lucky to still be playing right now due to the fact that 2...
bamdoucet writes...

Leafs Preview for 2011-2012
Posted Wednesday | Comments 0
With the Leafs currently having only 1 more guy to sign and that signing will be completed in the next month or so, really, there's no rush, Luke Schenn might be the next franchise player, what i mean by that is, players who actually stay with there franchise more than 10 yrs...aka Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, Steve Yzerman, Ray Bourque types of guys; he seems to love it in Tor...
It’s not often that the Lightning and Avalanche get together. As I mentioned in one my other game previews, that is going to be one really nice thing about re-alignment. We will get to see all these Western teams twice a year. Not only will it help to create rivalries, but it will really help spread the game across the United States. I can’t be the only one who is ...
The holiday break is already over as NHL hockey starts again tonight. It’s funny how long this holiday break feels when you don’t get to see a game for a couple days. It makes me cringe when I think about a season with the possibility of no playoffs. Thank goodness the golfing is good everywhere that time of year. A little too cynical for the holiday season? All t...
The Canadiens come to town in what is shaping up to be a tale of two underperforming teams heading in opposite directions. The Lightning have put together a couple of really solid efforts that have us looking upwards towards greener pastures. The Canadiens are still so enigmatic that it is so hard to read. On the one had, you think that they might do something still thi...
It’s funny to consider just how far the Toronto Maple Leafs have fallen from the tree that is the cream of the crop in the NHL. What a witty little analogy that was. To start the season, everything that could go right for the Leafs, was going right for the Leafs. They were getting solid goaltending from James Reimer, timely scoring from the top line and great defensiv...
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...
Tomorrow, the Lightning are in Montreal to take on the Canadiens. If our Bolts cannot get up for this one, I will officially consider this season a write-off. It’s always exciting for this group to play in Montreal. Few teams have the French connection that the Bolts do. Guys like Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier typically put in that extra little bit to play wel...
At this point in the season, with the Lightning in their current rut, it’s tough to put a value on the importance of a game. Are we chasing a playoff spot, or is this season completely done? As I’ve voiced to many of you before, the onus lies on management to come out and update a fan base that is so curious. All Steve Yzerman has to do is come out and tell us that ...
The Lightning are in DC tonight to take on the Washington Capitals. Despite not being the powerhouse group that haunted the league only a few short years ago, the Washington Capitals boast some great offensive weapons that shouldn’t have any problem feasting on weak defense and spotty goaltending. As Ian Esplen, the Canucks blogger here at Hockeybuzz, always says, “r...
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...
The Lightning are poised to take on the Winnipeg Jets at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Thursday with one thing in mind, two points. Belief is starting to set in that this team could very well be a playoff bound team. As it stands right now, the Lightning sit in 11th place with 48 points while the Jets have 52 points in 10th place. That four point gap could be narrowed to...
The month of February is shaping up to be one of vital importance for the Tampa Bay Lightning. With 12 games until the February 27th trade deadline, the Lightning are looking at a schedule that will have a huge impact on whether or not the team makes the playoffs this season. In this blog, I’ll take a look at the Panthers game coming up on Saturday, some rumors making ...
It’s always a treat when my two favorite teams get together to play a good ol’ fashioned game of hockey. That’s exactly what’s going to happen when the Los Angeles Kings come to town to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday evening. For two teams that don’t see each other often, there is certainly an abundance of storylines to follow prior to puck drop. T...
It’s a quiet night in the NHL tonight with only two games on the schedule. One of those games has a huge impact on the Bolts as they move forward. The Washington Capitals are taking on the Carolina Hurricanes tonight in a game that will have huge playoff implications for many other teams. If the Capitals win, it’s another two points to make up. If the Capitals lose...
All season, bloggers like myself have been preaching about “big games”. Well, tomorrow’s game against the Jets is the epitome of a big game. Playoff spots are on the line for the manager, ticket revenues are on the line for owners and jobs are on the line for players. This is a key time of a year; this game is shaping up to be the biggest of the season for the Tam...
The Habs are in Tampa for a really important game tonight. The Bolts are only six points back of 8th place and, with their new look defense, you can bet they'll be ready to go. It should be a really exciting tilt as you know these two teams always get the best out of each other. [b]There's a game preview blog over at TB HB![/b] [url]http://tblhockeybuzz.blogspot....
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...
The Hockey Gods were with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday night. Both the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets failed to pick up much needed victories. If everything goes right for the Bolts tonight, they could go to bed Saturday sitting only one point back of 8th place in the Eastern Conference. On top of a Bolts win, the Capitals and Sabres would both have to lose. I...
It’s hard to believe that there are only 16 games left in the regular season. This is the point where those on the cusp decide their fate, and those locked in begin to look ahead to the postseason. The Philadelphia Flyers (38-21-7) currently sit in 5th place in the Eastern Conference and will most likely be heading to the playoffs. Despite a drastically differen...
Despite being all but out of the playoff race (barring a miracle), the Tampa Bay Lightning need a victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. Unless this team wants to absolutely tank the rest of the season, which is unlikely based on the culture Yzerman and Boucher have created, a victory is imperative for confidence and getting back on the right track. Let�...
The newly aligned Pacific Division features 4 returning teams and 3 newcomers. In Shark Opponents I'm going to take a look at how the Sharks did against Pacific Division teams. It's going to be in three parts. Part One is this blog, The Returnees (Anaheim, Phoenix, LA). Part Two is The Newcomers (Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver). Part Three is The Departed, which will cover t...
Welcome to Part Two of Shark Opponents. [b]The Newcomers[/b] [b]v.s. Calgary[/b] San Jose played three games against the Flames in 2013, sporting a record of 2-1. The Sharks had trouble scoring against Calgary, recording only 7 goals in the three games. but Antti Niemi held the Flames to 6 over the same period of games. San Jose outshot (103-82) and out-face...
Welcome to the final installment of Shark Opponents. Over the first two blogs I've covered how well the Sharks did against the returning Pacific Division teams (9-7-2) and the incoming teams from the former Northwest Division (8-1-0). Part Three goes over the Dallas Stars, who moved from the Pacific to the new Central Division, as well as the Red Wings and Blue Jackets, wh...
With golf season winding down and training camps on the horizon, the Colorado Avalanche set to begin the 2014 season rejuvenated. The additions to the front office have already broken with tradition, extending both Matt Duchene and Gabriel "Call me Gabe" Landeskog. With both Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy at the helm, fans can expect a bit more transparency, or at the very leas...
Today I got the Sports Illustrated NHL Preview Edition. The Sabres were ranked 14th out of the 16 in the east with New Jersey and Florida being the only two teams below. Considering the fact that no NHL regular season games have been played this seems like a fair assessment. The question Sabres fans are asking is where will these ranks be in the coming months. Personally I...
[u][b]Canucks Pre-Season Wrap-up: My Opening Day Lineup[/b][/u] With the final pre-season game in the books with a nice 5-0 win over former coach Alain Vigneault's New York Rangers everyone's attention will not turn toward the opening day lineup. It seems as if the team has settled in on the following roster, at least to start the season while Zach Kassian is suspende...
[i]First I'd like to thank the nine readers who joined up for the fantasy league. Draft is Sunday at 10ET, see you there![/i] Finally. Hockey in Locktober ,err, October. The Sharks open up the season tomorrow night against the Vancouver Canucks, a team they had some feisty battles with during the pre-season. The Canucks and Sharks are two of the premier teams in the ...
I have been thinking about the upcoming NHL Season and I think I have a pretty good grasp on every teams attempted identity change. In the next few days I will write a preview on every NHL team and then try my best to predict the league standings around the NHL Trade Deadliine in early March. So lets get right into it: [b]Anaheim Ducks[/b] The Ducks finished #1 in th...
MyBoyStepan writes...

Another Mountain To Climb
Posted Thursday | Comments 0
A successful season feels like a long and slow build, like climbing a mountain. It starts with a training camp and a preseason, allowing the team to become acclimated to the new conditions that accompany each new year. The arduous trek of the regular season begins, with 82 games over the course of twice as many days. Teams and players slip up along the way, losing games, g...
Since we’re in the midst of the Augustine dog days of the offseason, I’ve decided to take a deeper dive into the bigger picture as it pertains to the Black and Gold. This will be a three part series focusing first on the should be positives for Boston, “the good”. Then, probable trouble spots for the club, “the bad”. And finally, the question marks heading ...
Today I’ll wrap up my deeper dive into the Black and Gold before we officially shift gear into the 2015-2016 season and Bruins training camp. There are question marks across the all levels of the Boston Bruins organization. With camp just under way, the club is searching for a lot of answers. Not just on the ice, but in the locker room and TD Garden offices as well....
With the dust settling on training camp, and a fair amount of knuckles being iced after a fiery tilt with the Washington Capitals last Thursday night - let’s talk about the Boston Bruins heading into 2015-16 season. [b]The Defense...Could Be A Dumpster Fire[/b] One question mark for the Black and Gold headed into the year has already been answered: [b]Dennis Seiden...
Blues vs. Carolina Hurricanes - 1/14/16 game day preview The Blues continue their home stand against their second consecutive Eastern conference team when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes at the Scottrade Center at 7pm tonight. The Hurricanes come in on a hot streak, winners of their last 3 games and taking points in 8 of their last team. Even with the hot streak...
This is my first ever blog, and I welcome any feedback! This is my opinion on what the leafs 2016/2017 line up will look like as of today. So because this lineup is done as if the season started today it does not include any potential trades that could happen in the offseason. By the way I would like to note that giving Jonathan Bernier one more season as the starting ...
Ok.....preseason is almost here....what are the Leafs doing? What does the team look like now....and moving forward...Staying focused on reality....which means realizing they are not in the Cup contention phase for two more years.....i am not saying they can't win it this year...but it would be an early surprise after just making the playoffs by a point. So what do the...
Ok.....preseason is almost here....what are the Leafs doing? What does the team look like now....and moving forward...Staying focused on reality....which means realizing they are not in the Cup contention phase for two more years.....i am not saying they can't win it this year...but it would be an early surprise after just making the playoffs by a point. So what do the...
ok....in my last blog i looked at the shape of the Leafs' forwards. ...looking into next year.....now lets look at the D....with what has been said by Lou regarding Hainsey, the probable pairings may look like this.. Reilly - Hainsey Gardiner - Zaitsev Marincin - Carrick Extras: Dermott, Rosen, Borgman Looking at next year, everyone wou...
The Washington Capitals host the high scoring Toronto Maple Leafs at 7PM EST at Capital One Arena. While Washington has had the upper hand the last couple seasons on the Leafs including a playoff series victory in 2017 and a win in the Outdoor Classic, Toronto is a different team this season as they are 4-1 and have recorded three wins on the road so far while scoring at w...
The Providence Bruins will be returning home tomorrow, to the New England Sports Center, for a 1 pm puck drop against the Hartford Wolf Pack. Here is the breakdown. The two teams are scheduled to meet 12 times this season and with only 26 game's it makes up nearly half their schedule. In addition, this will be the 6th meeting between the clubs this season. In their season ...

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